Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov hosted an official visit from U.S. Special Envoy for Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor and then-Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll in Ashgabat in January 2026, during which he emphasized the importance of mutually beneficial cooperation, especially on trade and security. Gor and Driscoll also “held substantive meetings with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense,” reported Business Turkmenistan, during which they “discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of security and reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in Central Asia.” Turkmenistan is also bolstering ties with its Central Asian neighbors through…
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Building on attempts to bring peace and stability to the Levant, Lebanon hosted Jordanian Prime Minister Dr. Jafar Hassan in January 2026. During the two-day visit, Hassan met separately with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, President Joseph Aoun and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. Dr. Hassan emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relations between the two countries and coordinating positions on important international issues such as maintaining the Gaza ceasefire, stabilizing Syria and employing diplomacy to end armed conflicts. The meeting led to 21 agreements between the two countries, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese president’s office. They…
At Al-Riffa Palace in Manama, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Crown Prince, received Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of the U.S. Central Command, in February 2026. During the meeting, His Highness stressed the importance of continued cooperation and coordination between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States at all levels, especially in the defense sector. This military cooperation proved essential when Iran launched attacks on Bahrain in late February and early March 2026. Iran has long sponsored terrorist groups to destabilize Bahrain, straining relations between the two countries. In 2019, a Bahraini court sentenced…
Iraq fulfilled in January and February 2026 a request by U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) to transfer to Iraqi prisons more than 5,700 Daesh detainees formerly held in makeshift detention camps in northeastern Syria. “We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” USCENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said. Thousands of terrorists detained in Syria — along with women and children related to the Daesh members — pose a major security challenge to the region. When Daesh was defeated in Iraq in December 2017 and…
Engineering and sapper troops from Kazakhstan serving with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights cleared more than 1,200 pieces of unexploded ordnance from the start of their mission in April 2025 through late January 2026. Kazakh peacekeepers conducted 44 clearing operations in addition to searches, minefield reconnaissance and technical inspections, the Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan reported. The unexploded ordnance consisted mostly of tank and artillery shells, mines, drone warheads and improvised explosive devices, Maj. Ernar Amantayuly of Kazakhstan’s Center for Peacekeeping Operations in Almaty said. The previous Kazakh peacekeeping rotation cleared more than 500 pieces…
Jordan has embarked on a transformation plan for its Armed Forces to confront modern security threats. In January 2026, His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, ordered military leaders to devise a comprehensive strategy to restructure the military. “Driven by our commitment to bolstering the capabilities of our Arab Army and ensuring the continuous development of its capacities and tools, we direct you to devise a comprehensive strategy and a clear roadmap to achieve a structural transformation in the Armed Forces over the next three years,” the king said in a…
The new Board of Peace initiated and chaired by United States President Donald Trump was created to foster peace and stability and to manage post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were among the 20 nations who sent leaders to Davos, Switzerland, in January 2026 to sign the charter bringing the new organization to life. For the two Central Asian neighbors, joining the Board of Peace as founding members offers a chance to shape international conflict resolution mechanisms and to amplify their voices and influence globally. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed strong support for the Board of Peace and…
Soldiers from the Pakistan Army Special Services Group and the United States Army sharpened counterterrorism skills during two weeks of training in January 2026. The bilateral special operations exercise, held at Pakistan’s National Counterterrorism Center in Kharian, was called Inspired Gambit 2026. After suffering attacks from several terrorist groups, Pakistan has sought assistance from military partners to improve and facilitate counterterrorism interoperability and uphold regional stability. “The exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability through the sharing of counterterrorism experiences, while further refining tactics, techniques, and procedures essential for effective counterterrorism operations,” Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.…
Automatic weapons fire echoed through the Panj River valley along the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The August 2025 skirmish between Tajik and Afghan Taliban border forces erupted from a dispute over mining and dams on the river. Afghanistan remains unstable under Taliban rule and its northern neighbors in Central Asia are grappling with how to keep extremism, narcotics, weapons and disorder from crossing porous frontiers. The five Central Asian republics — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — share a deepening sense of urgency that has led to increased regional cooperation. Fragile frontier Afghanistan’s northern border has…
When Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Washington, D.C., in February 2026, Brig. Gen. James Hankins of the Mississippi National Guard was one of the first people to greet him. In the same month, a delegation of business, political and military figures traveled from the United States to Bishkek, capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. Prominent among them were representatives of the Montana National Guard. Both of these exchanges highlight the special relationships formed through the U.S. National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program (SPP), which pairs troops from various National Guard units with counterparts from partner countries. The SPP has enhanced global…