Photos by LEBANESE ARMED FORCESThe year 2025 witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the fight against drugs and organized crime in Lebanon. Army units and the Intelligence Directorate successfully carried out large-scale security operations that led to the arrest of drug manufacturers, traffickers, dealers and dangerous fugitives, in addition to dismantling drug manufacturing laboratories and seizing huge quantities of drugs, weapons and ammunition.The ongoing operations in various regions reflect a comprehensive security strategy based on border control, thwarting smuggling operations, and pursuing criminal networks, thereby consolidating the army’s role as the primary guardian of security and stability and affirming the state’s…
Unipath
In a bustle of machine-gun fire, helicopter assaults and armored attacks, a company from the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) Quick Reaction Force trained for the first time at one of the premier military training sites in the United States. The Jordanian troops completed their demanding combat training rotation in June 2025 at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. It was the culmination of nearly a year of preparation for troops hand-selected from among the three battalions of the Jordanian Quick Reaction Force. Although U.S. Army troops regularly participate in Jordanian-hosted exercises such as Eager Lion, this…
Saudi Arabia has earned recognition as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, a status that gives the Saudis easier access to U.S. military equipment and expands security training and cooperation. The announcement came at a visit by His Highness Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to Washington, D.C., in November 2025. The highlight of the trip was meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, who heralded the new Strategic Defense Agreement between the two countries. “A stronger and more capable alliance will advance the interests of both countries, and it will serve the highest interest of…
Since 2024, Vice Adm. Mazin Abdulwahid Alameri has commanded the Iraqi Navy, which has grown in importance as the defender of Iraqi ports vital for the country’s economic security. It consists of patrol boats that protect the waters near the deepwater port of Um Qasr on Iraq’s narrow southern coastline. It’s also the main defender of the country’s territorial waters and maintains Iraq’s interests and sovereignty in adjacent waters and economic zones. “The Navy protects Iraq’s commercial and oil ports, thereby securing the country’s main economic artery. This is why the Iraqi Navy is so important and plays such a…
Among the top security concerns of the Jordan Armed Forces is defending the country’s long border with Syria and Iraq. Internal conflict in those neighboring countries led to breakdowns in border security that challenged Jordan in the form of smuggling and infiltration. In light of recent political change in Syria, Unipath discussed the state of Jordan’s international borders with Jordanian Border Guard Commander Brig. Gen. Jehad Hamoud Al Adwan of the Jordan Armed Forces/Arab Army. Unipath: What is the state of border security after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria? Brig. Gen. Al Adwan: The Jordan Armed Forces…
I would like to thank our friends at United States Central Command for inviting us to write for this issue of Unipath magazine, which focuses on international cooperation to combat terrorism. Iraqi security forces have gained a great deal of experience in fighting terrorist organizations. Over the past two decades, Iraq has suffered multiple terrorist attacks by armed groups and organizations targeting the democratic project and trying to lock Iraq into a cycle of conflict and violence. Some of these groups are backed by countries with their own malicious agendas and intentions, while others feed on sectarian conflict. Terrorist organizations are…
Dozens of terrorists were eliminated and hundreds of hostages rescued from a train carrying 440 passengers in a March 2025 military operation led by Pakistan’s special operations forces. The rescue operation was grounded in a new approach. In 2024, after several years of increased terrorist attacks, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a “reinvigorated” national counterterrorism strategy that would include intensified intelligence operations to undermine violent extremists. A terrorist group called the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed the Jaffar Express, which was headed to the city of Peshawar, by blowing up railroad tracks in front of the locomotive. Several people…
When Tajikistan sought to strengthen its counterterrorism efforts, including improving border security, it turned to a geographically small Middle Eastern country with experience in the field: Kuwait. A November 2024 conference titled “Strengthening International Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and Building Agile Border Security Mechanisms” brought hundreds of government ministers, heads of international organizations and subject matter experts to Kuwait City to support Central Asia security. A highlight of the summit was a consultation among Tajik Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Kuwait Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya and United Nations officials. The Kuwait City counterterrorism conference was emblematic of…
His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan shared his insights with a gathering of leaders of special operations forces from more than 60 countries at Special Operations Forces Week in the United States in May 2025. The annual convention, sponsored by the Global SOF Foundation and U.S. Special Operations Command, addresses tactical, strategic and technological developments in the field of advanced warfare. Attendance topped 20,000. Amid the panel discussions, cutting-edge weaponry and seminars, thousands of visitors from around the world interacted with colleagues at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida. Their common goal was international security. In…
Rear Adm. Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Al Bin Ali gazes toward the horizon as if discerning the masts of distant ships, the mark of an experienced sea captain. Knowledgeable in maritime sciences, the commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) recognizes friendly boats from those that troll in troubled waters. Knowledge, experience and discernment are important qualities to command the RBNF. Its 35 ships and boats patrol a region rife with instability caused by malicious actors that threaten shipping in the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea. Rear Adm. Ahmed is a quiet man who chooses his…