Jordan Should Stop Hedging and Stand Firm Against Iran

July 21, 2026 | Policy Brief Jordan Should Stop Hedging and Stand Firm Against Iran July 21, 2026 | Policy Brief Jordan Should Stop Hedging and Stand Firm Against Iran Iranian attacks on neighboring countries, relaunched after the collapse of the Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington, have now claimed the lives of two U.S. troops in Jordan and possibly a third. On July 18, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that “two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action,” while a third remained “missing.” Since July 8, Iran has launched 47 missiles and eight drones at Jordan, most of them targeting al-Azraq, a town roughly 50 miles east of Amman that hosts a major air base used by U.S. forces. Previously, Jordan was struck by 166 ballistic missiles and 125 drones launched by Iran and its proxy militias in Iraq in response to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Tehran regime that began at the end of February before being halted in early April. Tehran’s attacks on Jordan reflect its pressure strategy against a vulnerable U.S. partner that hosts American forces. However, the attacks are also leading Jordan to portray Iran more clearly as an aggressor — a departure from previous confrontations between Iran, the United States, and Israel, when Amman sought to maintain a cautious balancing act. Iran Begins Attacking Jordanian Infrastructure Iran’s targeting strategy against Jordan initially differed from its approach towards the Gulf states during the war. Whereas Tehran struck energy and civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, its attacks on Jordan focused almost exclusively on bases hosting U.S. forces. That distinction has now begun to erode. Although most of the latest attacks continued to focus upon U.S. forces in al-Azraq, Iran also targeted the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba, adjacent to the Israeli port of Eilat, on July 19. The U.S. Embassy in Amman reported that, “Authorities evacuated the international airport and seaport in Aqaba.” The Jordanian army subsequently confirmed that four missiles had targeted the city, three of which were intercepted, with the fourth landing in an open area. The attack marks a shift in Iran’s targeting calculus. Targeting Aqaba is an unprecedented escalation; unlike the Gulf ports previously attacked, Aqaba sits on the Red Sea and serves as Jordan’s only maritime gateway. The port handles approximately 65 percent of Jordan’s imports and 80 percent of its exports, meaning that placing Aqaba on Iran’s target list poses a threat to the kingdom’s economic security. Jordanian Reactions Jordan has traditionally pursued a careful approach toward the Islamic Republic, trying both to avoid placing itself in Tehran’s crosshairs and to manage domestic sensitivities over any perceived cooperation with Israel or the United States. But as Iranian attacks have increased, Amman’s responses have begun to pin responsibility mainly on Tehran. Following the attack on Aqaba, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had delivered a “strongly worded protest against ongoing, unjustified Iranian attacks on the Kingdom,” to the Iranian charge d’affaires. On the other hand, Fars News, which is closely affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that individuals in Jordan had provided intelligence that improved the accuracy of Iranian missile strikes against U.S. forces. This is a continuation of Iran’s efforts to incite the Jordanian public against the U.S. military presence in the kingdom. In response, Jordanian officials accused Iran of conducting incitement campaigns through its media arms, seeking to push citizens into the streets and foment unrest. Jordanian criticism of Iran remains tempered by a reluctance to absolve Washington and Israel. Some prominent commentators portray Jordan as paying the price for an American-Israeli war and have faulted Washington for exposing its Arab partners to retaliation but often stop short of justifying Iran’s attacks. Washington Should Help Jordan Stand Up to Iran In 2022, Washington and Amman signed a seven-year, nonbinding memorandum of understanding under which the United States pledged to request at least $1.45 billion in annual assistance for Jordan. That assistance, together with the U.S. military presence, has greatly strengthened Jordan’s ability to defend its airspace. Washington should now facilitate Amman’s deeper inclusion into the U.S.-led regional air and missile defense architecture, improving Jordan’s capacity to intercept Iranian missiles and drones. Ahmad Sharawi is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.