Islamic State a Failure But Still a threat Obama

The jihadist group lost ground but there were signs it was shifting to attacks abroad.

US President Barack Obama says there have been gains against so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, but warned the group still poses a threat.

“The possibility of a lone actor or a small cell that kills people is real,” he said, adding that networks in the US could be activated again this.

Separately, he strongly denied that a $400m (£305m) cash payment to Iran was a ransom for the release of American prisoners in January. The White House provided extensive comments on the issue on Wednesday.