Have we entered a post-ISIL era? | Beijing, Vatican swap art to build ties

published: 2017-11-25 11:03:24

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced the end of the Islamic State in an address broadcast live on TV this week. Russian President Vladimir Putin also made the same declaration during a joint press conference after meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts in Sochi on Wednesday. Has ISIL truly been rooted out in the region? Why did these countries make the announcement at this moment?