DefenceTalkIran’s defence minister poured scorn Saturday on US Secretary of State John Kerry’s accusations that Tehran is “destabilizing” the Middle East, countering that America should get out of the region. The broadside illustrated new tension between Iran and the United States, despite last year’s nuclear deal, with contrasting stances on the conflicts in Yemen and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-says-us-not-tehran-damaging-the-middle-east-67205/

DefenceTalkSyrian troops entered the ancient city of Palmyra and Iraqi forces launched an offensive against Mosul as pressure mounted on key strongholds of the Islamic State jihadist group. US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile held talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and agreed to push for a political settlement in the war torn country, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/isis-under-pressure-as-troops-advance-on-palmyra-mosul-67175/

DefenceTalkThe Islamic State group killed a US marine in a rocket attack in northern Iraq Saturday, the Pentagon said, only the second American combat death in the fight against the militants. “Earlier today a US Marine providing force protection fire support at a recently established coalition fire base near Makhmur in northern Iraq was killed […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-service-member-killed-in-iraq-pentagon-67102/

DefenceTalkThe Islamic State group has lost 22 percent of the territory it held at the start of 2015, military analysts IHS Jane’s said Wednesday, as US and Russian air strikes have helped the ISIS’s opponents advance. IS controls swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria but lost 14 percent of it last year and a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/isis-lost-a-fifth-of-its-territory-since-january-2015-analysts-67068/

DefenceTalkVladimir Putin surprised his country and the world on March 14 by ordering the start of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, less than six months after the beginning of an air campaign that followed a swift and secretive buildup on the ground. What are the motives and messages behind the announcement? A […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putins-pullout-behind-russias-new-syria-surprise-67063/

DefenceTalkUS Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Russia next week to discuss the Syria crisis, Washington said, after Moscow began withdrawing most of its forces from the country. Kerry said on Tuesday he would hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to “try to take advantage of this moment,” which he described as the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/kerry-to-visit-moscow-as-russian-pullout-boosts-syria-peace-hopes-67058/

DefenceTalkIn a surprise move, President Vladimir Putin has instructed Russia’s armed forces to start pulling out of Syria. Putin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on March 14 that Russian military forces had largely fulfilled their objectives in Syria. “I am therefore ordering the defense minister, from tomorrow, to start the withdrawal of the main part […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-orders-syrian-withdrawal-saying-goals-achieved-67047/

DefenceTalkAs the Prime Minister attends an EU summit on the migration crisis, the Royal Navy is deploying amphibious landing ship royal fleet auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay alongside 2 border force cutters to join the NATO mission in the Aegean Sea that aims to reduce the flow of migrants from Turkey to Europe. RFA Mounts Bay, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/uk-deployment-for-nato-mission-in-aegean-sea-to-tackle-migrant-crisis-66969/

DefenceTalkThe United States has delivered eight UH-60A Blackhawk helicopters to Jordan to help its coalition partner secure its border from Daesh terrorists, the US Embassy in Jordan announced on Thursday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Photos on the US Embassy’s social media account showed Wells with Jordanian military officials jointly inspecting the Blackhawk helicopters during the handover […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-delivers-uh-60a-blackhawk-helicopters-to-jordan-66937/

DefenceTalkLast week, The Washington Post ran an op-ed entitled “The exotic new weapons the Pentagon wants to deter Russia and China.” Pentagon officials, the piece explained, have begun talking openly about the artificial intelligence and robotics-assisted super soldiers meant to combat the Russian and Chinese militaries. But what is Russia’s response? On Tuesday, Washington Post […]https://www.defencetalk.com/how-russia-can-counter-the-uss-new-miracle-weapons-66882/