Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 23 Jul 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 17 strikes consisting of 29 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Police search for kidnapped villagers in southern Afghanistan Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Afghan security forces have launched a major search operation for some 30 villagers still missing two days after a mass kidnapping blamed on the Taliban militants in the country's troubled south.
• Taliban overrun two districts in Afghanistan: Reports Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- The Taliban militants have reportedly taken control of two districts in Afghanistan after heavy clashes that claimed the lives of at least eight police officers.
• Taliban Seize Control Of Two Districts In Afghanistan RFE/RL 23 Jul 2017 -- Afghan officials said the Taliban have seized control of two districts in northern and central Afghanistan, though the Defense Ministry maintained that fighting was still ongoing.
• Taliban Captures 2 Districts in Central Afghanistan VOA 23 Jul 2017 -- Heavy fighting is raging in central Afghanistan where officials say the Islamist Taliban has captured two key district headquarters and is assaulting government outposts in nearby areas.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Doesn't Have Luxury of Choosing Challenges, Dunford Tells Aspen Crowd AFPS 23 Jul 2017 -- While Russia remains the greatest nation-state threat, the United States doesn't have the luxury of singling out one challenge, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado last night.
• Top U.S. General: Russia Just One Of Many Security Threats Facing Country RFE/RL 23 Jul 2017 -- The top U.S. military officer has told a security conference that Russia is the "most-capable state actor" that the United States faces, but it is just one of many security challenges in today's environment.
• Chairman Emphasizes State Department's Importance to Defense AFPS 23 Jul 2017 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized the importance of foreign policy to the military during remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, last night.
• Trump boasts about US military might in commissioning new aircraft carrier Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- US President Donald Trump boasts about the rebirth of his nation's military power while commissioning the country's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, referring to it as "a 100,000-ton message to the world" of American military might.
• Sky Soldiers execute 'Swift Response' in Romania Army News 23 Jul 2017 -- Italian, Romanian and paratroopers with the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conducted heavy equipment, containerized delivery system and personnel airborne operations July 21-22, 2017, in Campia Turzii, Romania.
• State of Art Mi-28NM Copter to Be Delivered to Russian Airforce Starting 2018 Sputnik 23 Jul 2017 -- The serial production of the upgraded Mi-28NM Night Hunter helicopter is set to begin in 2018, Commander of the Aerospace Forces Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Sunday.
• Chinese air force's fighter units become strong contingent: expert People's Daily 23 Jul 2017 -- Ahead of the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), military experts have been discussing the development of the various divisions over the years.
• China-Russia naval exercise begins in Baltic Sea People's Daily 23 Jul 2017 -- China and Russia have started their large-scale naval drills dubbed "Joint Sea 2017" in the Baltic Sea. The exercises will involve jets, helicopters and vessels.
• Russia, US & Germany Duke It Out for Lucrative Indian Armored Vehicle Contract Sputnik 23 Jul 2017 -- India's Financial Express newspaper has reported that a decision on the country's long-delayed Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project could be reached by the end of the month. Russian observers say Moscow has a good chance of winning the contract, but doing so will require sharing the defense industry's latest armored vehicle technology.
• Iran, Iraq ink MoU to boost defense cooperation IRNA 23 Jul 2017 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Iraqi counterpart Major General Erfan al-Hiyali here on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense and military cooperation.
• Iran, Iraq sign MoU to boost defense, military cooperation Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Iran and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost defense and military cooperation in a variety of fields.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Yemen targets Saudi oil refinery with ballistic missile Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Fighters of Yemen's Ansarullah movement have launched a retaliatory ballistic missile attack on a Saudi oil facility in the kingdom's western Yababu province.
• CARE: Yemen situation 'absolute shame on humanity' Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- International humanitarian agency Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) has voiced alarm at the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, calling the situation a "shame on humanity".
• 600,000 Yemeni people could contract cholera by end of 2017: ICRC Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that about 600,000 people in the war-torn Yemen could contract cholera by December this year, a figure which almost equates one in every 45 people in the 27.5-million-strong country.
• Kingdom has supported Yemen with more than eight and a half billion dollars in 26 months SPA 23 Jul 2017 -- Advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of King Salman Center Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah said that the cholera epidemic has been endemic in Yemen for many years due to the depletion of health infrastructure and poor public health standards.
• King Salman Relief Center provides assistance to Yemen worth $ 615 million SPA 23 Jul 2017 -- King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid has provided for brothers in Yemen since it was launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a number of projects amounted to 139 different projects for the Yemeni governorates in various fields including relief, humanitarian aid, shelter, agriculture and water programs in collaboration with 84 national and local partners, focusing on children and women projects and support for Yemeni refugees in Djibouti and Somalia with an amount of US $ 615,839,175.
• Explosion kills 11 in Syria's militant-held city of Idlib Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Nearly a dozen people have been killed in a massive explosion that rocked the militant-held city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, purportedly targeting a gathering of members of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front.
• Syrian army soldiers, allies gain more ground in battle against Daesh Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Syrian government forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have made fresh advances against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group across the war-ravaged Arab country.
• Israel Opposes Iranian Presence in De-Escalation Zone in Southern Syria Sputnik 23 Jul 2017 -- The Israeli army rejects any Iranian presence on the Syrian border with Israel and will work on this issue according to the decisions made by the political leadership, according to a spokesman for Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
• The End is Near: Syrian Army Intensifies Its Grip of Steel on Daesh Sputnik 23 Jul 2017 -- The Syrian Army has regained control over the settlement of al-Dakhilah and the As-Sabhavi gas field located about 18 miles south of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Daesh terrorist group, a Syrian military source told Sputnik.
• Separate bomb attacks claim eight lives across Iraq Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- At least eight people have lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when two separate bomb attacks targeted security personnel and residential neighborhoods in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala as well as the embattled western province of Anbar.
• U.S. Envoy Says 'Astonishing' Number Of Cease-Fire Violations In Ukraine 'Hot War' RFE/RL 23 Jul 2017 -- The new U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations said he was stunned by the number of cease-fire violations in the ex-Soviet nation's war-torn east after making his first visit to the region.
• Hezbollah fighters retake 2 key Arsal areas, kill dozens of terrorists Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement have managed to reclaim control over two strategic areas in the highlands of Arsal on the Syrian border, killing dozens of Takfiri elements operating in the region.
• Egypt kills 8 from Hams, nabs others in anti-militant operations Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Egypt's Interior Ministry has announced the death of eight more suspected militants in an operation south of the country while security forces arrest others in east and west of capital Cairo.
• Amid rising violence in Jerusalem, UN and diplomatic partners urge maximum restraint on all sides UN News 23 Jul 2017 -- Expressing deep concern about the escalating tensions and violent clashes taking place in and around the Old City of Jerusalem, the United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the Middle East peace process have called on all to demonstrate maximum restraint and work towards de-escalating the situation.

News Reports

• Trump's Position Uncertain as US Congressional Leaders Reach Accord on Russia Sanctions VOA 23 Jul 2017 -- The U.S. Congress is moving toward adoption of new sanctions against Russia for its interference in the 2016 election, but it was unclear Sunday whether President Donald Trump would sign the legislation.
• White House Signals Support For New Russia Sanctions Bill RFE/RL 23 Jul 2017 -- The White House says it is open to new legislation that would slap new sanctions on Russia and limit U.S. President Donald Trump's ability to ease or lift them by himself.
• Erdogan: Qatar Crisis Not In 'Anyone's Interest' As Gulf States' Tour Begins RFE/RL 23 Jul 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has embarked on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and ally Qatar amid a regional crisis, saying no country had an interest in prolonging the situation.
• UAE, Saudi Arabia reject Qatari emir's call for dialog Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- The United Arab Emirates has rejected a Qatari call for dialog, saying Doha has to change its policies before talks could take place to lift a Saudi-led blockade of the Persian Gulf Arab state.
• Poland presses ahead with judicial overhaul despite opposition Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- Poland's ruling party has approved a controversial overhaul of the country's Supreme Court despite mass protests at home and mounting pressure from its Western allies against the move.
• Walesa Joins In Protests Against Controversial Judicial Legislation In Poland RFE/RL 23 Jul 2017 -- Lech Walesa, the former Polish president and leader of the opposition to communist rule, joined protests against plans to put the judicial system under the ruling party's political control.
• Iran not to accept any offer for resumption of talks on JCPOA IRNA 23 Jul 2017 -- Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi underlined that Iran will never yield to any re-negotiation on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Iran will not agree to renegotiate JCPOA: Senior MP Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- A senior Iranian lawmaker says the Islamic Republic will by no means agree to holding fresh talks on a landmark nuclear deal it signed with the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.
• US violation of nuclear deal won't go unanswered: Iran official Press TV 23 Jul 2017 -- A senior official says Iran will respond to any failure on the part of the US to meet its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement, to which Washington is a signatory.
• Larijani: Iraq should defend own territorial integrity IRNA 23 Jul 2017 -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that the Iraqi government should defend its territorial integrity by preserving political unity to have a more powerful, safe and democratic country in the future.
• Iran cautions Iraq on secessionist approaches IRNA 23 Jul 2017 -- Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani cautioned Iraq on the secessionist approaches in the country, adding that it can be manipulated by the greedy Iraqi enemies and prepare the ground for making unrest and instability there.
• Venezuela's Opposition Calls 2-Day National Strike VOA 23 Jul 2017 -- Venezuela's opposition announced a two-day national strike this week aimed at pressuring President Nicolas Maduro to cancel a controversial July 30 election for a new congress.