Military

Russia continues its military presence in Syria (1), with the Syrian army sending reinforcements of its own (2) in their ongoing battle against militant forces. Selling weapons is another of Russia’s current activities with purchasing interest shown by Iraq (3) and Mexico (4). As if that weren’t enough, this busy bee has also begun spying on American satellites, much to the chagrin of NATO (5).

The US military has been given the boot, with their exodus from the Middle East (6) — a further show of their waning popularity. Not one to be stopped however, America continues to do what it does best: stick its nose where it isn’t wanted (7) and invest in sub-par weapons (8).

Following the assassination of one of Iran’s top generals, a passenger plane bound for Ukraine mysteriously fell from the sky (9) shortly after takeoff. After much speculation, Iran finally admitted (10) to accidentally shooting it down, mistaking it for a cruise missile. Protests immediately followed the revelation (11), along with demands for the offending officer’s resignation (22), which led to his eventual imprisonment (13).

China is gleefully filling the void (14) left by the US departure from the Philippines, while Israel has made military news thanks to the bizarre lapse of judgement (15) in uploading a bomb joke to their official Tik Tok account.

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References

1. Russian air force bomb hospital, living houses in Syria

2. Syrian military reinforcements convoy heads towards Idlib

3. Iraq Reopens Negotiations For Purchase Of Russian S-300 Air Defense Systems

4. The US could sanction Mexico if it buys helicopters from Russia, US official says

5. Hunter Becomes the Hunted? NATO General Complains About Russia's 'Stalking' of US Spy Satellites

6. "NATO Go Home!"

7. Trump Not Giving Up On "Military Options" For Maduro's Ouster, Considers Naval Blockade

8. F-35’s Gun That Can’t Shoot Straight Adds to Its Roster of Flaws

9. Boeing 737 Bound for Ukraine Crashes Near Tehran, Killing 176

10. Iran Admits Downing Jetliner, Sparking Global Anger and Protests

11. Tensions High As Iranians Continue Protests Over Downing Of Ukrainian Jet

12. Iranians marched in fiery protests to demand Ayatollah Khamenei's resignation after officials shot..

13. US officer who shot down Iranian plane receives medal, while man guilty for downing jet is IN JAIL

14. China quietly filling US vacuum in the Philippines

15. The Israeli military is facing backlash after introducing its Tik Tok account with a bomb joke