US President Barack Obama delivered a rare televised primetime address to the American people detailing his administration's response to the threat of terrorism and the fight against the Islamic State group.

The United States is still reeling from the mass shooting in California which left 14 dead, and Obama obviously wanted to dispel fears of any more terrorist attacks in the US and build confidence in the international efforts to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria.

However, those looking for a fundamental shift in strategy were left disappointed as Obama's Sunday speech from the Oval Office was more about specific tactics.