The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan continues to endure near-nightly missile and drone barrages from Iranian forces without launching direct military retaliation, constrained by its deep financial and security reliance on the United States. According to an assessment published by the New York Times, Washington maintains wide latitude to operate from military facilities on Jordanian soil, an arrangement Amman cannot easily restrict due to its economic reliance on foreign aid.
Unlike oil-rich nations across the Persian Gulf, Jordan remains a resource-scarce state that relies heavily on foreign capital injections to sustain its national budget and defense infrastructure. Last year, the United States provided $1.65 billion in combined economic and military assistance to Amman, subsequently approving an additional $500 million in military aid this year to reinforce regional defense capabilities.
Temple University political science professor Sean Yom, author of "Jordan: Politics in the Random Crucible", noted that the kingdom's structural vulnerabilities necessitate strong foreign backing. "Jordan is a weak country in the Middle East," Yom explained, adding that "it is quite small and surrounded by regional threats. It needs a kind of superpower patron or external protector, and the United States has filled that role for several generations."
This strategic dependency limits Amman's ability to curtail US military maneuvers, even as the kingdom suffers collateral damage from the ongoing regional war. Over recent weeks, Tehran escalated its drone and missile strikes toward Jordanian territories aimed at American installations, resulting in the deaths of two US service members, injuring dozens of personnel, and causing severe disruptions to the Jordanian tourism sector.
Despite activation of air raid sirens across major cities and rising public concern, officials in Amman maintain that the core defense alliance with Washington will not be renegotiated. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi clarified the nature of the foreign deployment, stating, "There are no American bases in Jordan. We have American forces present in Jordan as part of our long-standing military cooperation. Their presence is regulated by a defense agreement that fully respects our sovereignty." Approximately 4,000 American military personnel are currently deployed in the country, with both capitals evaluating proposals to expand operational cooperation.
