Iranian strikes on US facilities heightened tensions in Jordan — ABC News Australia
Jordan has been subjected to Iranian missile and drone attacks on US facilities and infrastructure on its territory. This has intensified existing anti-American sentiment in the country. As ABC News Australia reports, tensions have persisted for nearly six months since the start of US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Strikes on US facilities
Estimates indicate that around 4,000 US military personnel are stationed in Jordan, although their number may have changed during the war. One of the main facilities is Muwaffaq Salti Air Base near Azraq, about 100 kilometres east of Amman.
The base hosts US Air Force aircraft and air defence systems, including a THAAD battery. It was reportedly damaged during the war. Dozens of Iranian missiles were directed at the base, and three US service members were killed in a surprise attack in July.
Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the war had forced the US to reconsider its approaches to force deployment in the region. According to him, bases in the Persian Gulf area are located close to Iran, making them more difficult to defend against missiles and drones.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Criticism of the US presence
Former Jordanian politician, commentator and writer Hamada Fara'na said that most of the country's population opposes the war and views US actions as support for Israel's interests. He criticised Iranian strikes on Jordan and other Arab states, calling them a violation of those countries' sovereignty.
Abrams noted that Jordan receives more than $1.5 billion in US aid annually to support its budget. He also pointed to close ties between Jordanian and US military and intelligence structures. Fara'na, for his part, said that official relations between Amman and Washington remain strong, although Jordan rejects US policy regarding Palestine and the Arab region.
Open appeal
Last month, hundreds of people signed an open letter demanding the withdrawal of foreign forces from Jordan and the country's withdrawal from its security and defence agreement with the US. The authors of the appeal said that the presence of foreign troops creates security, political and economic risks for the country and could draw it into a regional conflict.
The letter received almost no coverage in Jordanian media, as the kingdom's policy restricts freedom of expression. According to ABC News Australia, anti-American sentiment in Jordan intensified after the war in Gaza, which also contributed to boycotts of a number of US brands. The war with Iran and the prolonged conflict in Gaza have hurt Jordan's tourism industry.
