Geopolitical Briefing: Jordan
— 5 August 2025
- Jordan joined Germany and France in facilitating humanitarian airdrops to Gaza, pressuring Israel amid stalled aid.
- Jordan issued a temporary closure of its airspace following escalating Iran–Israel conflict, reaffirming neutrality.
- British Prime Minister urged Jordan’s King to support diplomatic de‑escalation of Iran nuclear tensions.
- Jordan refused to compete against Israel in international basketball as symbolic protest over Gaza war.
- Jordan and Russia signed a visa‑free travel deal to enhance bilateral ties.
Jordan endorsed and supported coordinated humanitarian airdrops to Gaza conducted by Germany and France, staging operations from Jordanian territory this week. Berlin’s Chancellor Merz confirmed two A400M aircraft participating from Jordan, while King Abdullah described the action as a symbolic pressure on Israel to allow overland relief.(ABC News, AP News, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Wikipedia) This underscores Amman’s effort to align with regional Islamic solidarity while pressing the limits of U.S. diplomacy and modest autonomy in humanitarian engagement.
In response to rising Iran–Israel hostilities, Jordan’s civil aviation authority temporarily closed national airspace in late July, asserting non‑alignment and rejecting use of Jordanian skies for regional escalation.(The Wall Street Journal) This measures Jordan’s strategic balancing act, demonstrating limited sovereignty over regional conflict dynamics while safeguarding against external military entanglement.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a telephone conversation with King Abdullah II on 22 June, urging Iran to return to diplomacy over its nuclear programme and calling for broader de‑escalation in the Middle East.(Reuters) Starmer’s outreach signals Western pressure on Jordan to play a moderating regional role, but Amman remains trapped between its commercial and diplomatic Western dependencies and domestic Islamic sentiment that opposes compromise with Iran or Israel.
On 30 June, Jordan’s basketball team refused to play a scheduled match against Israel at the FIBA Under‑19 World Cup, forfeiting the game in protest against the Gaza war.(Reuters) The decision reflects popular Islamist, anti‑Israel sentiment among Jordan’s population, placing the government under pressure to signal alignment with the public mood even at the cost of international sporting reputation.
In mid‑June, Jordan and Russia implemented a visa‑free travel agreement allowing 30‑day stays and up to 90 days annually, aiming to boost tourism and investment.(Reuters, Wikipedia) This move illustrates Amman’s cautious diversification of external ties beyond traditional Western backers, increasing economic engagement with non‑Western powers while still constrained by major dependencies.
