After shooting down Iranian munitions, Jordan defiant in uncomfortable spotlight

In the view of Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, the situation is complicated by the reality of the benefits Jordan is seeing from its more friendly relationship with the US and Israel, with whom it has had normalized relations since the 1990s.

“Jordan’s participation in the defense of Israel demonstrates that while Amman needs to navigate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sensitively, it is both broadly and closely aligned with US and Israeli regional security interests,” he said.

Jordan has not said exactly how it shot down the Iranian drones and missiles, but Lord surmised US-made systems were likely used and that their use “showcased to swing states in the region and throughout the world how they might stand to benefit themselves from a closer security relationship with Washington.” (After the Gaza conflict broke out in October 2023, Jordan requested the US to deploy patriot air defense systems to secure its borders.

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