DefenceTalkChina summoned the United States ambassador on Saturday after the US imposed sanctions on a branch of its military, according to Chinese state media. The announcement came a day after China “strongly urged” the US to cancel the sanctions or “bear the consequences”. The dispute has increased tensions between Washington and Beijing, amid a brewing […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-summons-us-ambassador-over-military-sanctions-71869/

DefenceTalkIran’s president on Sunday said his country would continue building weapons including developing missiles as the United States prepares new sanctions over its ballistic missile programme. “To defend our nation and territorial integrity, we will build all the weapons we will need,” Hassan Rouhani told parliament in statements broadcast on state television. Recent Iranian missile […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-says-to-continue-developing-ballistic-missiles-70707/

DefenceTalkRussian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree relaxing some restrictions on Turkey over business and visa-free entry imposed after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane on the Syrian border. A decree posted on the Kremlin website lifted a ban imposed from January 1, 2016, on Turkish construction and tour firms doing business in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-relaxes-economic-sanctions-visa-rules-on-turkey-70107/

DefenceTalkNorth Korea’s latest missile launch represents a significant step forward in its weapons capabilities, analysts say, but Pyongyang could be looking to secure a position of strength before a return to the negotiating table. The intermediate-range missile fired by the North over the weekend, named the Hwasong-12, was its longest-range rocket yet, analysts say. It […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-takes-leap-with-missile-test-analysts-69979/

DefenceTalkNorth Korea test-fired a ballistic missile Saturday in apparent defiance of a concerted US push for tougher international sanctions to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons ambitions. The latest launch, which South Korea said was a failure, came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of “catastrophic consequences” if the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-missile-defying-us-push-for-new-sanctions-69848/

DefenceTalkRussia became the world’s third largest military spender in 2016 despite low oil prices and economic sanctions, as the global expenditure rose for a second consecutive year, a study said on Monday. Russia’s military spending was $69.2 billion (around 64 billion euros) in 2016, a 5.9 percent rise over 2015, the Stockholm International Peace Research […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-boosts-military-spending-despite-sanctions-study-69794/

DefenceTalkEritrea has criticized the United States for slapping “misguided” sanctions on its navy, a month after it emerged the secretive Horn of Africa nation tried to buy military equipment from North Korea. The US announced last week it had banned dealings with the Eritrean navy under a non-proliferation law which prohibits trading in certain military […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eritrea-slams-us-sanctions-after-n-korea-military-deal-69667/

DefenceTalkIran is complying with the landmark nuclear deal it sealed with major world powers in 2015, according to a report from the UN watchdog seen by AFP on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency addressed key limits set under the agreement, which is under intense scrutiny after the election of US President Donald Trump. The […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-complying-with-nuclear-deal-says-un-watchdog-69307/

DefenceTalkIran is to deploy missiles for a Revolutionary Guards exercise Saturday in a show of defiance a day after the United States imposed sanctions over a ballistic missile test launch last weekend. Relations between Washington and Tehran have deteriorated sharply since Donald Trump took office last month promising a tough line on what he sees […]https://www.defencetalk.com/defiant-iran-in-missile-exercise-day-after-us-sanctions-68989/

DefenceTalkDonald Trump’s White House signaled a tougher stance toward Iran on Wednesday, condemning a recent missile test and declaring America was putting the Islamic republic “on notice.” In his first public remarks since taking office, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn accused Barack Obama’s administration of having “failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions.” Flynn […]https://www.defencetalk.com/trump-white-house-puts-iran-on-notice-68962/