Shock Move: Jordan to Bring Back Mandatory Draft Amid Israel Clash

The Jordanian Kingdom unveiled plans on Monday, August 18, 2025, to reinstate mandatory military service for young men, a policy dormant since the 1990s, as announced by Brig.-Gen. Mustafa Hiyari of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF). The initial draft will enlist 6,000 eighteen-year-olds, offering a monthly salary of 100 Jordanian Dinars (about $140) and three months of basic training, with plans to expand to 10,000 conscripts in subsequent rounds, according to government spokesman Mohammed Momani. Crown Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah, a 31-year-old Major with active military experience like his father, championed the move during a youth meeting in Irbid, stating, “Serving alongside the brave men of the JAF instills discipline and shapes character,” underscoring its role in bolstering national identity amid strained ties with Israel.

This decision follows the 1992 suspension of conscription, just before the 1994 peace accord with Israel, and comes as diplomatic relations sour, particularly over the Gaza War. Israel’s recent decision to bolster IDF presence along their shared 200-mile border, targeted by frequent terror attacks and Iranian-backed smuggling, has heightened tensions. Jordan, despite its role in coordinating Gaza aid airlifts, has faced criticism for not opening its borders to Gazans or aiding against Hamas control, instead pointing fingers at Israel. Retired Maj.-Gen. Hisham Khreisat told Petra news agency, “In an era of rapid and turbulent change, where regional crises overlap and pressures intensify, we are in greater need than ever of a trained, aware, and capable generation.”

Last week, Jordan rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alleged “Greater Israel” vision, which could encompass Jordanian territory. Momani, at a press conference, condemned the “Israeli far Right,” warning it jeopardizes a two-state solution and regional stability. King Abdullah II echoed this stance with a U.S. Congress delegation, denouncing unilateral Israeli actions in the West Bank as illegal and detrimental to Palestinian statehood. Off course there was no mention of Hamas terrorists and the suffering of the Gazan people in their hands, nor the plight of the Israeli hostages still being held in terror tunnels. As a U.S. military ally with American troops and equipment, Jordan’s move signals a strategic shift, raising questions about its dual role in the conflict.