War

A US F-15E fighter jet shot down a Syrian regime drone on Monday near At Tanf, Syria, the third downing of a pro-regime aircraft this month, CNN reported. The downing of the drone comes a day after a US jet shot down a regime aircraft that was engaging a fleeing ISIS convoy, according to the Syrian government.

An armed Shaheed-129 UAV “displayed hostile intent and advanced on Coalition forces” at 12:30 am local time on Tuesday, the coalition said in a statement. The drone was observed in the same area where another UAV was shot down on June 8.

Just two days after a US fighter jet shot a Syrian army aircraft out of the sky, and Russia halts cooperation with US military, an armed Russian fighter jet buzzed a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in the Baltic Sea on Monday, two U.S. officials told Fox News.

In the latest in a long series of close encounters, FOX News reports the Russian Su-27 jet had missiles under its wings and approached the U.S. Air Force RC-135 recon jet "rapidly," coming within five feet of the American aircraft, the officials said.

The situation in the Middle East is furiously escalating with each passing day.

While today's news of Israeli financial support for Syrian insurgents came out of left field, our earlier assessment following the report of "turmoiling" Syrian rebels in the aftermath of the Qatar crisis still stands, namely that "the next major regional conflict appears set to be between Saudi Arabia and Iran. All it needs is a catalyst."

The man suspected of using a van to attack worshipers at a London mosque has been identified as 47-year-old Darren Osborne, a father-of-four from Cardiff, Wales. Police have confirmed that he will be charged with the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism and attempted murder.

While a statement from the Metropolitan police says does not mention the attacker's name but confirms he is being charged as a terrorist...

Earlier, when discussing why the Syrian "rebels" fighting Assad are in "turmoil", we said that as a result of the ongoing Qatar crisis the various Saudi and Qatari supply chains supporting the rebels, both in terms of weapons and funding, had dried up due to the diplomatic fallout involving Qatar and Saudi Arabia. "Together with Turkey and the United States, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been major sponsors of the insurgency, arming an array of groups that have been fighting to topple Syria's Iran-backed president."