PHOTOS BY LEBANESE ARMED FORCES In a flurry of helicopter blades and dangling rappelling ropes, Lebanese commandos demonstrated storming a hijacked ship in the Mediterranean Sea. The display of military skill was one of several land, sea and air operations that engaged Lebanese and United States naval forces at the Resolute Union 26 exercise in October 2025. Focused largely on counterterrorism, the exercise was designed to boost the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces to defend its territorial waters and coastline. The Lebanese Navy played a leading role at Resolute Union with participation from the Lebanese Air Force, Military Police…
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Since the 1990s, Iraq has suffered from numerous violations at its border crossings because of rampant corruption and control by organized criminal gangs and smugglers on both sides of the border. After 2003, the situation became more complicated as security forces became preoccupied with combating terrorist attacks within the country. Armed militias used the opportunity to open alternative crossings to smuggle weapons and drugs and collect illegal taxes on goods. With several government agencies involved with border security, there was a lack of clarity about which agency was responsible for border crossings, which complicated coordination and management and facilitated the…
Central Asia and the Arabian Gulf countries share not just cultural ties but also a common interest in ensuring the security and prosperity of their respective regions. The foreign ministers of Central Asian countries and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states met in Kuwait in April 2025 for a third in a series of engagements to deepen their strategic relationship. The host, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, described the gathering as a turning point in deepening cooperation based on mutual respect and shared goals and interests. Summit participants discussed a broad range of cross-regional issues and opportunities of mutual…
Iraq, a staunch advocate of diplomacy, has in recent years become a hub where regional leaders meet and discuss solutions to conflicts. Amid a backdrop of escalating regional turmoil, the 34th Arab League Summit convened in Baghdad in May 2025, under the slogan “Dialogue, Solidarity and Growth.” It drew six heads of state, senior officials and delegates from international organizations, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Chaired by Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, the summit involved several topics, including discussions of peace and security in Gaza, as well as the urgent need for diplomatic…
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan visited the United States in June 2025 for high-level discussions on enhancing relations between the two countries and expanding opportunities for trade and investment. During Nurtleu’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the two countries’ top diplomats “discussed political and economic cooperation, energy, trade and logistics,” according to The Astana Times, and “exchanged views on regional and global security challenges.” Nurtleu emphasized Kazakhstan’s commitment to a “mutually beneficial partnership” with the U.S. and highlighted his country’s central role in maintaining the stability of global energy and critical…
Egyptian security forces raided the hideout of the Harakat Sawa’d Misr (HASM), an internationally designated terrorist group responsible for attacks on public officials. An exchange of gunfire during the raid killed two terrorists whom Egypt had already sentenced to death in absentia for previous crimes, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced in July 2025. The two terrorists had entered Egypt secretly from an unspecified neighboring country, using unmarked roads through uninhabited border areas. HASM also had released a video showing its militants training in a desert outside Egypt and pledging to carry out terrorist operations in the country. Egyptian police…
The Kyrgyz Republic hosted forces from United States Air Forces Central and the Montana Army and Air National Guards at exercise Ak Shumkar 2025. The Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense held the joint exercise June 23-27 in Bishkek to expand the partnership between the two countries and improve cooperation and interoperability. The Kyrgyz-led exercise consisted of civil-military training in areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster response, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, and border security. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Derek France, commander of Ninth Air Force, said the exercise was “a significant step forward in strengthening security cooperation with our…
In recognition of Qatar’s significant role in calming security tensions in the Middle East, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Doha in June 2025 as the head of a ministerial delegation. Prime Minister Salam met with His Highness the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and other senior Qatari officials. The meetings addressed issues of common interest and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Lebanese prime minister’s visit represents an opportunity to relaunch joint development projects and boost Qatari investments…
The United Arab Emirates is one of the United States’ most prominent security and military partners in the Middle East, with cooperation spanning several areas, including counterterrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity and defense technology. To reinforce such cooperation, the countries signed a letter of intent (LOI) in May 2025 to establish a comprehensive U.S.-UAE Major Defense Partnership. The signatories in Abu Dhabi were Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defence Affairs of the UAE, and Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of War. Intended to develop a road map that guides bilateral military cooperation, the LOI also represents a shared commitment…
The nations of Central Asia, an important crossroads between east and west, are seeking to expand economic and political partnerships outside of the region. Leaders of the European Union and the five nations of post-Soviet Central Asia — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, April 3-4, 2025, to advance these ties. During the summit, leaders discussed topics including multilateral and regional cooperation, security challenges, trade and investment, energy, human rights, and scientific and educational exchanges and cooperation. This first-ever high-level EU-Central Asia summit is just the beginning of what EU leaders hope will…