Several hundred Marines have deployed into Syria with artillery guns, as part of the ongoing preparation for the fight to push ISIL out of its self-declared headquarters of Raqqa, a Pentagon spokesman has confirmed. In addition, the US is preparing to send up to 1,000 troops to Kuwait. Source: Al-Jazeera
Russia said on Monday it would be forced to respond in kind to restore the military balance with the United States if President Donald Trump carried through on a threat to quit a nuclear arms treaty and began developing new missiles. Source: France24
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan faces a tough balancing act as he heads to Beijing for a Thursday summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Source: CNBC
The Trump administration fears Russia could help Tehran evade US sanctions by buying up Iranian oil and reselling it as its own. Source: Financial Times
