Assad’s Fate Likely to Top Agenda During Putin’s Iran
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian leaders expected to focus on the Syrian crisis and an international peace plan intended to end the conflict.
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Islamic State Employs New Tactics to Plot Attacks
The Islamic State is using a variety of new tactics, including encryption and control of local resources in Iraq and Syria, that make it more difficult to defeat without a greater U.S. presence in the Middle East, analysts said on Friday.
Russia Says U.S. Policies Helped Islamic State, Interfax Reports
U.S. actions in the Middle East helped Islamic State to gain influence, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, according to Interfax.
Officials: IS determined to produce chemical weapons
The Islamic State group is aggressively pursuing development of chemical weapons, setting up a branch dedicated to research and experiments with the help of scientists from Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the region, according to Iraqi and U.S. intelligence officials.
Jordan’s King Abdullah: We are facing a Third World War
The world is facing another global conflict and a fast response is needed to deal with the threat, Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Tuesday.
Iran uranium stockpile grows after deal with Obama
Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium has grown in the past three months, the United Nations nuclear watchdog reported on Wednesday. The stockpile is supposed to be slashed as a result of the agreement the regime reached this summer with the United States and other world powers.
France retaliates to Paris terror attacks, hits ISIS command center, training camp in Syria
French warplanes pounded Islamic State positions in Syria on Sunday as police in Europe widened their investigations into coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people.
Obama huddles with Putin, backs France’s pursuit of deadly terrorists, on sidelines of G-20 summit
President Obama said Sunday at an international summit that America stands with France in its pursuit of those who committed the ‘horrific’ terror attacks in Paris and met informally with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Yuan Set to Join IMF Basket in Step Toward Currency Big Leagues
China’s yuan is poised to enter the big leagues of global currencies, according to the judgment of the International Monetary Fund.
Devil is in the detail before new round of Syria peace talks
Two weeks after they jointly called for a political solution to Syria’s civil war, foreign ministers and senior officials from Russia, the United States, Europe and the Middle East struggled on Friday to turn that idea into a more concrete plan.
Eiffel Tower goes dark as France mourns 129 killed in worst attacks on French soil since WW II
The Eiffel Tower stood dark in a symbol of mourning Saturday night as France struggled to absorb the deadliest violence on its soil since World War II: coordinated gun-and-suicide bombing attacks across Paris that left at least 129 people dead and 352 injured.
Hezbollah weapons warehouses were the target of Wednesday’s Israeli airstrikes in Syria
The target of Israel’s alleged airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday evening were Hezbollah weapons warehouses, Arab media affiliated with the opposition to Syrian Preisdent Basher Assad reported Thursday.
Iran Threatens to Walk Away from Nuke Deal
Iran has threatened to walk away from the recently inked nuclear deal and stop rolling back its nuclear enrichment program, according to recent comments by Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic’s president.
First genetically modified humans could exist within two years
Humans who have had their DNA genetically modified could exist within two years after a private biotech company announced plans to start the first trials into a ground-breaking new technique.
Russia and Iran-backed offensive helps regime break Isil’s two-year siege on Syrian airbase
Syria’s army has broken Isil’s two-year siege on an airbase in eastern Aleppo, marking the first major success for a military campaign backed by Russia and Iran.
Russia Reveals Secret Nuclear-Armed Drone Sub
A Russian document shown on state-run television confirmed that Moscow is developing a high-speed drone submarine capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
Putin says Russia will respond to US missile shield by deploying new strike weapons
Russia will counter NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense program by deploying new strike weapons capable of piercing the shield, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
U.S. to Help Iran Rebuild Nuclear Reactor
The United States and other global powers are helping Iran to update and reconstruct a nuclear reactor that has been suspected of helping the Islamic Republic produce enough material for a potential nuclear weapon, according to regional reports and statements from the State Department.
Russia to deliver S-300 missiles to Iran by the end of 2016
The Russian government is preparing to begin deliveries of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran by the end of of 2016.
US role in Syria brings push for Congress vote on new war powers
In the fight against the Islamic State group, members of Congress talk tough against extremism, but many want to run for cover when it comes to voting on new war powers to fight the militants, preferring to let the president own the battle.