US Flies F-22s to Romania as Show of Strength to Russia
The U.S. Air Force on Monday flew in two F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Romania as a show of strength to deter Russian intervention in Ukraine.
Russia
Israel holds ‘substantive’ talks with Quartet delegation that included EU reps
Israeli officials met with a high-level Quartet delegation this week, despite the fact that it includes an EU representative with whom Israel has said it will not meet on a bilateral basis to discuss the diplomatic process with the Palestinians.
Putin arrives in Iran as Russia eases nuclear export ban to Islamic Republic
President Vladimir Putin has eased an export ban on nuclear equipment and technology to Iran, a Kremlin decree published on Monday showed, after Tehran struck a deal with world powers on its nuclear program in July.
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.
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.
Investigators ’90 percent sure’ bomb downed Russian plane
Investigators of the Russian plane crash in Egypt are “90 percent sure” the noise heard in the final second of a cockpit recording was an explosion caused by a bomb, a member of the investigation team told Reuters on Sunday.
US Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Planes Near USS Ronald Reagan
Two Russian planes buzzed the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan as it sailed in international waters east of the Korean peninsula, Stars and Stripes reports.
Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia, Iran to discuss Syria face-to-face for first time
Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran announced they would attend international talks in Vienna on Friday on the Syrian conflict, in what will be their first meeting to discuss the four-year-long war.
Iranian official says expects nuclear deal to be implemented this year
Iran’s nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said on Monday he expected a deal with six world powers on shrinking Tehran’s atomic program in exchange for sanctions relief to be implemented by year-end.
4 Russian Cruise Missiles Crash in Iran En Route to Syria
At least four cruise missiles fired from Russian navy ships in the Caspian Sea towards Syria Wednesday crashed in northwestern parts of Iran according to U.S. officials.
Nuclear smugglers sought Middle East terrorists
In the backwaters of Eastern Europe, authorities working with the FBI have interrupted four attempts in the past five years by gangs with suspected Russian connections that sought to sell radioactive material to Middle Eastern terrorists, The Associated Press has learned.
40 Syrian insurgent groups call on regional states to form alliance against Russia, Iran
More than 40 Syrian insurgent groups including the powerful Islamist faction Ahrar al-Sham have called on regional states to forge an alliance against Russia and Iran in Syria, accusing Moscow of occupying the country and targeting civilians.
Russia May Use Navy to Blockade Syrian Coast
Russia may use its Black Sea Fleet to blockade the Syrian coast according to the force’s former commander and current Duma defense committee head.
Russia begins Syria air strikes in its biggest Mideast intervention in decades
Russia launched air strikes in Syria on Wednesday in its biggest Middle East intervention in decades, plunging the four-year-old civil war into a volatile new phase as President Vladimir Putin moved forcefully to stake out influence in the unstable region.
Russians, Syrians and Iranians setting up military coordination cell in Baghdad
Russian, Syrian and Iranian military commanders have set up a coordination cell in Baghdad in recent days to try to begin working with Iranian-backed Shia militias fighting the Islamic State, Fox News has learned.
Obama and Putin to meet; Syria and Ukraine vie for attention
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in New York next week at a time of high tension in Europe and the Middle East, but the Kremlin and the White House disagreed on Thursday over the top priority for the talks.
Syrian army starts using new weapons from Russia
The Syrian military has recently started using new types of air and ground weapons supplied by Russia, a Syrian military source told Reuters on Thursday, underlining growing Russian support for Damascus that is alarming the United States.
Russia building major military base near Ukrainian border
Russia has started to build a huge military base housing ammunition depots and barracks for several thousand soldiers near the Ukrainian border, a project that suggests the Kremlin is digging in for a prolonged stand-off with Kiev.
Coordinated Iran-Russian military forces arriving to save Syria’s Assad
Russia and Iran are coordinating the dispatch of military forces to Syria in an effort to save the regime of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Russian troops join combat in Syria
Russian forces have begun participating in military operations in Syria in support of government troops, three Lebanese sources familiar with the political and military situation there said on Wednesday.