Tribal Ties

Months of protests outside the Israeli embassy in Amman have grown increasingly militant and pro-Hamas in the past few weeks. And following Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia leader vowed to flood Jordan with weapons and to march on Israel.

These threats triggered calls by the Saudi crown prince and UAE leader to Jordan’s King Abdullah II to reaffirm their commitment to Jordan’s defense and security.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who are bound to Jordan by familial and tribal ties, see the country as pivotal to their own national security and part of their geo-strategic depth. Jordan borders on northwest Saudi Arabia, where Prince Mohammed has launched some of his most ambitious and costly projects linked to his Vision 2030 economic diversification plan. While both have mended diplomatic ties with Iran, they remain extremely wary of Tehran.

A report earlier this month by the Riyadh-based International Institute for Iranian Studies said Iran was “seeking a foothold in Jordan” in order to completely “encircle Israel” and “undermine regional actors” like Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

The region’s heightened tensions also fuel concerns about security in its waterways, all of which are vital sea routes for global energy and commercial supplies.

An Israel-linked cargo ship that was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the run-up to Saturday’s attack is still being held by Iran on allegations it was violating maritime regulations. Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s navy said it would provide a military escort, led by one of its largest warships, for Iranian trade vessels traveling from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea.

—With assistance from Mike Cohen.

©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.