Israel urges West to support Jordan against Iran

Latest developments​

Israel on August 29 urged Western countries to help Jordan counter Iran’s destabilization efforts. On the second day of an Israeli security operation in the West Bank, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz publicly linked the threat of growing terrorism in the West Bank to Iran. Katz said in a message on X that Tehran wants to establish a proxy terrorist infrastructure in the area similar to those in the Gaza Strip, Yemen and Iraq. To achieve that goal, he added that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives are smuggling weapons into the West Bank via Syria and Jordan. The IRGC “seeks to destabilize the (Hashemite) regime and turn the border between Israel and Jordan from a peaceful frontier into an unstable front,” Katz said. “The US and Western countries must strengthen the Kingdom of Jordan against Iranian subversion and enable it to defend its borders.”

Meanwhile, Katz suggested that Israel should continue its interdiction efforts in the West Bank, “decisively cracking down on the terror infrastructure being built on the ground, as we have already begun to do,” and quickly erect a security fence on its side of the Jordanian border “to prevent an influx of advanced Iranian weapons.” Katz’s comments, which largely echo his previous statement on August 12, come in the same week that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the Jordan Valley — on the border between the West Bank and Jordan — where he met with heads of local municipalities and military commanders responsible for the area’s security.

Expert analysis​

“The Hashemite minority government’s relationship with the Palestinian majority in Jordan is a matter of understandable sensitivity. But no one — including ordinary Palestinians — would benefit if Israel failed to eradicate the Iranian-backed Hamas and other IRGC proxies in Gaza and the West Bank. The Iranian axis is so far-reaching and ruthless that a united and public front against it is required.” — Mark DubowitzCEO of FDD

“Iran’s ambition to destabilize the Hashemite Kingdom is not new. However, Tehran has exploited the regional security situation since October 7 to increase pressure on Jordan, both internally and externally. Iran’s proxy in Gaza, Hamas, has played a key role in inciting Jordan’s Palestinian majority population, many of whom express support for Hamas leaders such as Yahya Sinwar and wear Qassam headbands. Jordan must not tolerate the increasing influence of Iranian-backed groups in the West Bank, as this growing threat could ultimately jeopardize the kingdom’s national security.” — Ahmad SharawiFDD Research Analyst

Jordanian king continues to criticize Israel

The remarks were not repeated in Amman, which has frequently criticized its security partner Israel’s defensive actions in Gaza and the West Bank. In a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for “a halt to Israeli attacks on the West Bank and to achieve general calm in order to prevent a regional expansion of the conflict,” the official Jordanian news agency reported. Petra.

Jordanian Foreign Minister traveled to Tehran

Iran uses a network of militants, criminals and intelligence services to smuggle weapons into the West Bank. The New York Times on April 9, citing an anonymous group of Iranian, American, and Israeli officials. Iranian agents pass the weapons to Bedouin smugglers in Jordan, who deliver the supplies to criminal gangs on the Israeli border. On August 4, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi arrived in Tehran as regional tensions escalated following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Safadi said on X that he had passed on a message from Jordan’s King Abdullah to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian “about the regional situation” and had “held discussions with the (Iranian) Foreign Minister about the dangerous escalation that has taken place in the region.”

Related analysis

“IDF Chief of Staff Visits Jordan Valley Amid Terror Threats in West Bank,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Israel warns of destabilization of Jordan and West Bank by Iran and Hamas,” FDD Flash Brief

Jordanian Foreign Minister Arrives in Tehran, FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Gave Jordan and Israel a Chance to Improve Ties,” by Natalie Ecanow and Behnam Ben Taleblu

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