US Defense Secretary Discusses Cooperation in the Middle East

Jordan's king Abdullah II meets with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Amman, Jordan March 5, 2023. Jordanian Royal Palace/Handout via Reuters
Jordan's king Abdullah II meets with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Amman, Jordan March 5, 2023. Jordanian Royal Palace/Handout via Reuters
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US Defense Secretary Discusses Cooperation in the Middle East

Jordan's king Abdullah II meets with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Amman, Jordan March 5, 2023. Jordanian Royal Palace/Handout via Reuters
Jordan's king Abdullah II meets with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Amman, Jordan March 5, 2023. Jordanian Royal Palace/Handout via Reuters

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Jordan on Monday as part of his visit to three Middle Eastern countries to reinforce partnerships with the regional states.

Austin arrived on Sunday in Amman and is scheduled to later visit Egypt and Israel.

“The enduring and strategic partnership between the United States and Jordan is strong. While here, I look forward to collaborating on shared interests that will deliver positive outcomes for both nations,” he said in a tweet.

He wrote on Twitter before his departure that he would meet key leaders and "reaffirm the US commitment to regional stability and advancing the shared interests of our allies and partners."

The US Defense Department said ahead of the visit that discussions would focus on the growing threat Iran poses to regional stability, and on advancing multilateral security cooperation with integrated air and missile defenses, Reuters reported.

Central to discussion will be the "full constellation of Iran-associated threats," a senior defense official was quoted as saying on the Pentagon's official site ahead of the visit.

"Those threats include Iran's arming, training, and funding of violent proxy groups, aggression at sea, cyber threats, its ballistic missile program, and drone attacks," he added.

"Secretary Austin will convey enduring US commitment to the Middle East and provide reassurance to our partners that the United States remains committed to supporting their defense and increasing and strengthening the strategic partnerships with each of these countries," said US officials.

"He (Austin) will also be quite frank with Israeli leaders about his concerns regarding the cycle of violence in the West Bank and consult on what steps Israeli leaders can take to meaningfully restore calm before the upcoming holidays," Reuters quoted the American officials as saying. 

Tarek Fahmy, a political science professor at Cairo University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the visit is part of Washington’s keenness on communicating with its allies on the latest developments, mainly on Iran.

Fahmy said that the talks would cover the security arrangements in the region and the American attempts to form a regional alliance, which were showcased at the US-Saudi Summit but faced some reservations.

Gamal Bayoumi, the former assistant foreign minister of Egypt, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington seeks to form an Arab coalition against Iran. Some Arab countries have reservations about this step and consider Israel the main enemy in the region.

The Jeddah Security and Development Summit was held in July in Saudi Arabia.

The leaders taking part in the Summit stressed their joint vision for a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.

They stressed the need to jointly confront challenges and commit to principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, the sovereignty of others, and regional security.

News had circulated ahead of the Summit about an American proposal to form an “Arab NATO” to face Iran. But the proposal “wasn’t widely welcomed” during the Summit.



Israel Sends Negotiators to Cairo to Extend Phase-one of Gaza Ceasefire

 Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
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Israel Sends Negotiators to Cairo to Extend Phase-one of Gaza Ceasefire

 Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture out of the windows as they arrive in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israel announced on Thursday it was sending negotiators to Cairo for talks, seeking to extend a first phase of a ceasefire due to expire in two days, in the apparent aim of securing the release of more hostages while delaying any final deal on Gaza's future.

The announcement came after Hamas handed over four bodies of hostages, the last due to be released under the terms of the six-week first phase of the ceasefire that started on January 19. Talks have yet to begin on a second phase that would ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war.

Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters in Jerusalem the delegation would travel to Egypt to see whether there was common ground to negotiate an extension to the truce.

"We said we are ready to make the framework longer in return to release more hostages. If it is possible, we'll do that."

Two government officials told Reuters that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas freeing three hostages each week in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.

The warring sides have not spelled out what would happen beyond Saturday if the first phase of the ceasefire expires with no agreement. Egypt and Qatar are mediating between Israel and Hamas, with the backing of the United States.

The initial phase of the ceasefire included the handover of 33 Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli jails. Fighting was paused and Israeli troops withdrew from some positions in Gaza.

Talks over the second phase, intended to secure the release of the remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, had been meant to start earlier this month.

Israel's government faces public pressure to stick to the ceasefire to free remaining hostages, while some within the right-wing government want to return to war to fulfil their objective of eradicating Hamas.