US President Barack Obama voiced renewed determination to destroy the Islamic State group Monday, vowing to win back territory in the Middle East and kill the group's leaders.
Sounding a notably more strident tone, Obama said that the United States and its allies were taking the fight to Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, with the militant group losing 40% of the territory it previously controlled in Iraq.
"We are hitting them harder than ever," said Obama, in a second address following a seemingly IS-influenced attack in San Bernardino that has raised questions about his strategy.
"As we squeeze its heart, we will make it harder for ISIS to pump the propaganda to the rest of the world," Obama insisted at the Pentagon after meeting with US military leaders.