The Islamic Republic is making headway in its ambition to “sow discord within Jordan and create governmental chaos in order to expand Iranian influence” in the country, Prof. Ronen Yitzhak told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, following the publication of an open letter signed by hundreds of Jordanian political and legal figures demanding the withdrawal of US forces.
The letter, a rare public challenge to the Jordanian government, was signed by both Palestinian and original Jordanian tribes, which is what makes it particularly “disturbing,” Yitzhak said.
“This is exactly what Iran intended when it launched missiles at Jordan, as well as at other Gulf states. Its goal was to put pressure on the Jordanian population to demand the removal of the American presence,” he said. “But it is more than that. There is an Iranian intention to deepen the gap between the Jordanian government, which supports the United States, and the Jordanian people, which opposes American policy, as part of the Iranian ambition to sow discord within Jordan and cause governmental chaos in order to increase Iranian influence in Jordan - this has been Iran's ambition for over 20 years.”
The letter claimed that US military presence “exposes Jordan to security, political, and economic risks that serve no national interest and increases the likelihood of our country being dragged into a regional conflict to which it is not a party.”
Jordan currently hosts around 4,000 American troops, according to the US Congress. The country also receives substantial US military assistance, with annual aid tripling over the past 15 years.
Jordanian-US relationship beneficial, but regional escalation inflicts pain
Total bilateral US assistance to Jordan, administered through the State and Defense Departments, amounted to approximately $33.8 billion from 1951 through to the fiscal year 2025, and the US has provided an additional $2.5 billion in security assistance to Jordan through multiple defense appropriations accounts.
Though Amman’s relationship with the US has been undoubtedly beneficial, the regional escalation has also had a deep impact on Jordan’s economy. The Central Bank of Jordan reported that in the first half of 2026, tourism revenue went down from expatriate Jordanians by 12%, US nationals by 25%, and European nationals by 28%. According to the New York Times, the tourism industry alone makes up 18% of Jordan’s revenues.
The demand to see US forces withdraw is “a fascistic call,” Yitzhak said, adding that it was unlikely to impact King Abdullah’s rule.
“Abdullah's strategic political approach, as we knew, was the commander of Jordan's special forces until his appointment as king in 1999, and he cooperated with the West and recognizes the importance of strategic relations between countries, including the State of Israel,” he explained.
Issues relating to the state of Israel have been another sore point between the Jordanian people and the government, a point that has only become more noticeable with Iran’s escalation in recent years.
Sufyan al-Tell, a political activist who signed the letter, told the New York Times that Jordan’s capabilities were being “exploited…one way or another to defend Israel,” reflecting a growing number of Jordanians who have vocalized the belief that the country is making sacrifices for the benefit of a foreign power.
Yitzhak, though, said that “the King of Jordan has the sovereignty to make independent decisions according to the constitution, so it does not seem likely that he will change Jordanian policy towards the countries or the West in general.”