DefenceTalkDefenceTalkIran has nothing to gain from ending inspections of its nuclear facilities, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned as tensions rise after a top Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated. In an interview with AFP after a year in office, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi issued the appeal in response to calls by Iranian […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-has-nothing-to-gain-from-halting-inspections-grossi-76566/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkNewly appointed Pentagon chief Christopher Miller signaled Saturday that he could accelerate the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the Middle East, saying, “It’s time to come home.” “All wars must end,” Miller, named acting defense secretary by President Donald Trump on Monday, said in his first message to the US armed services. He […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-us-defense-chief-tells-troops-time-to-come-home-76547/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkChina said Monday it would impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, a Boeing defence division and other US firms involved in arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing views as its territory. The two US giants were involved in a recent sale of nearly $2 billion worth of missiles to Taiwan, alongside Raytheon, and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-to-sanction-us-firms-over-taiwan-arms-sale-76528/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe United States strongly condemned NATO ally Turkey on Friday after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the first test of a Russian-made S-400 air defense system and dismissed US criticism. “The US Department of Defense condemns in the strongest possible terms Turkey’s October 16 test of the S-400 air defense system — a test […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-condemns-turkey-s-400-test-erdogan-dismisses-us-criticism-76525/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkPresident Xi Jinping on Friday warned of China’s military resolve to defeat “invaders”, speaking on a 70th anniversary for the Korean War, the only time Chinese forces have fought the United States. In a long speech, heavy on patriotism and flecked by anecdotes of heroism by Chinese forces, Xi said victory in the 1950-53 conflict […]https://www.defencetalk.com/xi-invokes-chinese-military-might-with-us-in-mind-76522/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkUS Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Tuesday that he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit India next week to strengthen the two countries’ alliance in the face of China’s strategic challenge. “India will well be the most consequential partner for us, in the IndoPacific for us for sure, in this century,” Esper said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-defense-diplomacy-chiefs-to-visit-india-for-talks-76494/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkSweden has banned Chinese telecoms groups Huawei and ZTE from its 5G network for security reasons, the Swedish telecoms regulator said on Tuesday. The ban is in line with new legislation that entered into force in January 2020, following an examination by the Swedish armed forces and security service “to ensure that the use of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-bans-chinas-huawei-zte-from-5g-network-76481/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkA new ceasefire agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan to halt fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh was again failing to hold on Monday as both sides accused each other of fresh attacks. The truce, backed by international mediators to put a stop to three weeks of fighting that has left hundreds dead, was supposed […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-fighting-over-karabakh-despite-ceasefire-76487/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkAt least 10 Somali soldiers were killed and an unknown number wounded when Al-Shabaab Islamist fighters ambushed them near a southern village, a military official and family member said Thursday. The attack took place late Wednesday in a village near Afgoye town, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the capital Mogadishu. “The soldiers were travelling […]https://www.defencetalk.com/more-than-10-somali-soldiers-killed-in-shabaab-ambush-76474/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkNATO insisted Thursday that its members would consult and decide together on when to leave Afghanistan, after US President Donald Trump vowed to bring American troops home by Christmas. Trump, trailing in polls ahead of the November 3 presidential election, made his surprise announcement on Twitter on Wednesday, dramatically speeding up the timeline for ending […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-chief-says-allies-will-leave-afghanistan-together-76461/