US gives nod to Israel targeting of Iranian military chief in Syria: Report

The US has given Israel the green light to assassinate General Qassem Soleimani, commander of an elite Iranian military unit and mastermind behind Tehran’s military operations across the Middle East, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Monday. Al-Jarida quoted an unnamed source in Jerusalem who said that the two allies have made a quiet agreement after deciding that […]

Middle East Sitrep 12/31/17

The current situation in the Middle East is really not all that different from before the Islamic State took control of huge swaths of land. Small pockets of Islamic State resistance are still in existence throughout the formerly occupied regions of Iraq and Syria. As such, it is inevitable that small attacks and minor combat […]

Anti-government protests spread across Iran, as 52 arrested

Iranian riot police dispersed protesters shouting anti-government slogans in the western city of Kermanshah on Friday, as protests against corruption and rising prices spread to the capital Tehran. The outbreak of regional unrest reflects growing discontent with the government, as well as concern over the Islamic republic’s costly involvement in regional conflicts such as Syria […]

Putin Says War in Syria Shows Off Russia’s Military Might

Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted of his nation’s military strength at a ceremony where he praised Russian soldiers for their actions in Syria. The Russians supported the government of President Assad in ridding Syria of the Islamic State. Speaking at a Kremlin awards ceremony for troops who fought in Syria, Putin says Russia has “made the main, […]

Syria military jet downed in northern Hama, pilot killed

Syria’s armed forces said militants downed a military jet in the northern Hama province on Tuesday, killing the pilot. Militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – a fighting force dominated by members of al-Qaeda’s former branch in Syria – said it hit the plane. Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that the pilot was shot by […]

Australia To End Airstrikes in Iraq Due to Defeat of ISIS

Australia will begin to pull out its attack aircraft from Iraq following an announcement from their Defense Minister. Marise Payne announced that after discussions with the Iraqi government and other allies, Australia will begin to scale back its air operations due to the crushing of the Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. The country’s […]

US: Russian’s Increasingly Violating Syria Agreement, Crossing Airspace

The Russians are pushing the envelope in regard to violating an agreement that is intended to prevent accidental clashes in the air over Syria and the Pentagon isn’t happy about it. The US has accused Russia of intentionally violating this agreement following another recent unsafe encounter between US F-22s and Russian Su-25 ground attack jets. […]

US military presence in Syria ‘must end’, says Russia envoy

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for Syria said on Thursday that there was no reason for US forces to remain in Syria and that Washington’s stated arguments for maintaining a military presence there were groundless. Alexander Lavrentiev was speaking in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, ahead of a new round of Syrian peace talks between […]

Here’s what we think is going to happen in 2018

2017 has been a roller coaster — both in the US and abroad, the year ends with the world in a very different place from where it was 12 months ago. Now, as has become our tradition, the Business Insider military-and-defense team will predict the future. In the past, we’ve done well. Last year we correctly […]