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Jordan Thwarts Relentless Iranian Efforts to Target its Security

Jordanian King Abdullah II. AP file photo
Jordanian King Abdullah II. AP file photo
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Jordan Thwarts Relentless Iranian Efforts to Target its Security

Jordanian King Abdullah II. AP file photo
Jordanian King Abdullah II. AP file photo

Jordanian King Abdullah II affirmed his country’s position on “not allowing Jordan to be a battlefield for any party.”

His comments, which came during a meeting on Tuesday with figures from the Mafraq Governorate (70 kilometers northeast of the capital), reflected the same stance that the king conveyed to US President Joe Biden on Sunday.

During a telephone call with Biden, King Abdullah stressed that his country will not “be an arena for a regional war,” calling for the need to “immediately stop the escalation in the region,” and saying that any “Israeli escalatory measures will lead to expanding the circle of conflict.”

At dawn on Sunday, Fars News Agency quoted a military source as saying that the Iranian “armed forces are carefully monitoring Jordan’s movements during the process of disciplining the Zionist entity... If Jordan participates in any potential actions, it will be the next target.”

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that it had summoned the Iranian ambassador to Amman and asked his country to “stop insulting and questioning” the kingdom’s positions.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in a televised appearance that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will try to create a confrontation with Iran to drag the United States and the West into a regional war, so the focus will shift toward Iran, and the world will forget about Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Jordanian sources confirmed “sensitive information about persistent Iranian efforts to target security in the kingdom” during the past few months.

Those were thwarted and kept secret to avoid causing more tension in the relationship between the two countries, according to the sources.

Jordan is aware that Tehran’s intentions are “to nurture security hotspots, which it will use to harass its opponents in the region.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a political source noted that Iran wants to “destabilize Jordan and it is looking for a foothold that will disturb the kingdom.”

Earlier this month, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that pro-Iranian Iraqi militias have sought since Oct. 7 to carry out infiltration operations across the Jordanian border to support the Palestinian resistance.

But the Jordanian army was able to thwart many of these attempts, sending “serious threats” through official channels to bomb the Shiite militias that had set up camps in the Trebil area in Iraq, and forcing them to retreat 40 kilometers inside Iraqi territory.

“Amman does not trust Tehran” is a summary of the history of the relationship between the two countries, as described by Jordanian politicians and elites.

“The more chaos in the region expands... the more Iran is able to negotiate to achieve its interests, in a war it is conducting through its proxies,” said Minister Khaled Al-Kalaldeh.

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Israeli Cluster Bombs Create ‘Renewed’ Disaster in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
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Israeli Cluster Bombs Create ‘Renewed’ Disaster in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)

Lebanon is still clearing cluster bombs dropped by Israel during the 2006 war, and reports suggest that the threat is growing. Israel is believed to be using cluster bombs again in southern Lebanon, an area already severely damaged.

While the war continues, some sources in southern Lebanon claim that Israel has dropped cluster bombs, especially in agricultural areas. This could make it impossible for farmers to use the land in the future, as unexploded bombs could detonate at any time. The danger has already caused hundreds of deaths and injuries since 2006.
Before the latest conflict, Lebanon’s Mine Action Center requested four more years to finish clearing the bombs left over from 2006. However, it has not been able to confirm whether Israel has used cluster bombs in this new conflict. The center is waiting for the war to end to confirm the types of weapons used.
Hezbollah accused Israel of using cluster bombs in southern Lebanon in a statement last month, calling on international human rights organizations to condemn the attack.
Hezbollah’s statement, released on Oct. 15, said Israeli forces dropped cluster bombs in several areas, including near the towns of Aalman and Deir Siryan. The group said this action violated international law, especially during wartime.
Retired Gen.
Abdul Rahman Chehaitli, who was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the Lebanese Army during the 2006 war, explained that Israel dropped cluster bombs just two days before the war ended.
These bombs were dropped randomly, making it impossible to create accurate maps for their removal.
Chehaitli told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon received incomplete maps of the bomb locations from Israel through UNIFIL, but some areas still remain dangerous. Removing these bombs is risky and slow, and unexploded bombs still pose a major threat to civilians.
He warned that the use of cluster bombs in the current conflict could lead to another disaster once the fighting ends.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, Israeli warplanes dropped over 5 million cluster bombs in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war. By 2020, these bombs had killed 58 people and injured around 400 others, many of whom were farmers and shepherds.
The Lebanese Army’s Mine Action Center works with UNIFIL and local and international organizations to remove these bombs. However, a lack of funding has reduced the number of organizations able to help, especially in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa.
Hassan Faqih, head of the Tobacco and Tombac Farmers’ Union in Lebanon, described the continued threat of cluster bombs. Since 2006, many farmers have been unable to use their land because of unexploded bombs. Some have been injured or disabled after bombs went off.
Faqih told Asharq Al-Awsat that areas like the town of Hamila in the Nabatieh district are still full of unexploded ordnance, preventing farmers from working. He also confirmed that Israel has used cluster bombs again in this conflict.
Local residents can recognize the bombs by their shape and the sounds they make.
Cluster bombs are dropped from aircraft or fired as missiles and contain hundreds of smaller bombs that scatter over a large area. Though intended to target military forces, they are highly dangerous to civilians, especially children.