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The Israeli military exchanged fire with several suspects crossing from Jordan into Israel south of the Dead Sea region, Reuters reported on Oct. 18. 

West Bank: Gunmen Entering From Jordan Injure Two Israeli Soldiers

Economics

Jordan's King Abdullah II appointed Harvard-educated palace aid Jafar Hassan as prime minister after the country's Sept. 10 legislative elections, Reuters reported on Sept. 15. 

Jordan: New Prime Minister Signals Reform and Policy Continuity

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate in Jordan, reportedly secured up to 20% of the seats in the preliminary results of the country's parliamentary elections, Reuters reported Sept. 11.

Jordan: Islamists Gain Seats in Parliament

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A Jordanian truck driver opened fire at the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and Israel on Sept. 8, killing three Israeli civilians before Israeli security forces shot him dead, Reuters reported the same day.

Jordan, Israel: Jordanian Gunman Kills Three Israeli Civilians at Border Crossing

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Arab leaders began to arrive in Manama, Bahrain, on May 15, for the 33rd Arab League summit that will focus on developing a consensus on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, The National reported the next day.

MENA: Arab League Summit To Formalize Conditions for Gaza Reconstruction

United States

More than 100 Iraqi parliamentarians signed a request to create a law removing foreign forces from Iraq, Shafaq News reported on Feb. 8.

Iraq, U.S.: Iraqi Parliamentarians Request Law To Remove Foreign Forces

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

The United States approved strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria and Iraq in the upcoming days following a deadly drone attack that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan on Jan. 28, CBS News reported on Feb. 1, citing U.S. officials.

U.S., MENA: U.S. Approves Strikes on Iran-linked Targets in Response to Deadly Jordan Attack

Syrian media reported that several suspected Jordanian airstrikes killed 10 people, including women and children, in a residential area in Orman in southwestern Syria, Reuters reported on Jan. 18.

Jordan, Syria: Airstrikes in Syria Kill 10, Likely Part of Jordanian Crackdown on Drugs

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The Geopolitics of Water

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Science & Technology

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Palestinian refugee camp of Bourj al-Barajneh on Aug. 8 in Beirut. Hamas's ascendency toward leadership of the Palestinian national movement seems likely to portend new cycles of violence and new major military operations.

Hamas's ascendency toward leadership of the Palestinian national movement seems likely to portend new cycles of violence and new major military operations.

The Future of Hamas in Gaza: Gauging Political Resilience, Part 2

An Aug. 29 Israeli military operation in Tulkarm in the northern West Bank. In the coming months, wide-scale Israeli military operations and expanding settlements in the West Bank will further weaken the Palestinian Authority and put the territory at greater risk of uprising.

In the coming months, wide-scale Israeli military operations and expanding settlements in the West Bank will further weaken the Palestinian Authority and put the territory at greater risk of uprising. 

Will Israel Face a Third Intifada in the West Bank?

Snapshots

Jordan's King Abdullah II (right) and the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, pose for a photo during the 2024 G-7 Summit in Savelletri, Italy, on June 14, 2024.

Over the next year, Jordan will pursue growth-focused economic reforms as part of its IMF program, but ongoing regional instability will likely still give some businesses and investors pause.

As Conflicts Rage on Around It, Jordan Sets Out To Boost Its Business Appeal

Europe

Israeli soldiers guard a barrier, silhouetted against afternoon sun.

As Gaza moves closer to a post-war reality, political limitations in Israel and competing interests abroad muddy the waters of the region's future governance.

For Israel, the Challenge of Gaza's Future Governance Deepens

The Jordanian flag. Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

Jordan's Alignment With Israel Will Put It in Iran's Crosshairs

Iran's large missile and drone attack will prompt an Israeli retaliation that will focus on reestablishing deterrence and preventing future similar attacks on Israel, but in doing so, Israel risks expanding the conflict, further sinking the region into turmoil and possibly dragging in the United States.

How Israel Might Respond to the Iranian Attack

A ship transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024, in Ismailia, Egypt.

Compared with crisis-ridden Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan's access to IMF loans will enable them to better weather the tourism and business disruptions brought on by the nearby Hamas-Israel conflict.

How Will the Gaza War Impact Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon's Economies? 

U.S. and Jordanian forces participate in the "Eager Lion" multinational military exercise on Sept. 14, 2022, in the Al-Zarqa governorate of Jordan.

The initial U.S. retaliation to a lethal attack by Iran-backed militias on U.S. forces in Jordan will likely focus on limited attacks against targets in Iraq and potentially Syria.

Potential U.S. Responses to a Lethal Attack by Iranian Allies in Jordan

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U..S Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Oct. 14, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Arab counterparts Nov. 4 in the Jordanian capital in a bid to garner regional support for U.S. policies in the Israel-Hamas war.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Meets Arab Ministers, State Assembly Elections in India

Members of Jordan's gendarmerie stand on guard as protesters gather for a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in Amman, Jordan, on Oct. 27, 2023. 

Jordan's criticism of the war in Gaza will dampen ties with Israel, but not at the expense of their peace treaty.

Amid the Israel-Hamas War, Jordan Balances a Fine Line Between Criticism and Peace With Israel 

Students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) rally in support of Palestinians outside the main gate of the university in the Lebanese capital on Oct. 9, 2023. 

Social Issues

Israel's likely ground invasion in Gaza will alienate many Muslims in the Middle East, pressuring their governments to respond in support of Palestinians.

Gauging the Regional Response to the Gaza Conflict

Jordan lies in the heart of the Middle East in an area known as the Levant, surrounded by Israel, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea. Rather than being determined by discrete topographical features, Jordan's northern, eastern and southern borders are the result of early 20th century imperial politics. The core of the country is the northern portion of the Jordan Valley and the adjacent highland plateaus, where most of Jordan's nearly 10 million inhabitants reside. Jordan's three biggest cities, Amman, Irbid and Zarqa, are all located in this area. The fertile east bank of the Jordan River is responsible for most of Amman's agricultural production. Most of the rest of the country is desert, containing portions of both the Syrian and Northern Arabian Deserts. Jordan's two primary geographic challenges are its lack of natural resources and its diverse population. For domestic energy needs, Jordan depends on imported oil and natural gas, though it is a significant exporter of phosphates, potash and fertilizers. Native Jordanians are descendants of the Bedouin tribes historically from the region, but over half of Jordan's population is made up of Palestinian Arabs, a reflection of Jordan's shared border and deep historic ties with the Palestinian Territories. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees also live in the country, as well as pockets of Circassians, Armenians and Assyrians. Despite its artificial borders, dearth of natural resources and proximity to regional conflicts in Iraq, Syria and the Palestinian Territories, Jordan has been relatively stable since its founding in 1946. It has succeeded in fostering strategic relationships with countries such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States. But this stability is a delicate balance, and the country faces a constant uphill struggle against its geographic constraints as it seeks to provide for its population and manage its security.

SITUATION REPORTS

West Bank: Gunmen Entering From Jordan Injure Two Israeli Soldiers

Jordan: New Prime Minister Signals Reform and Policy Continuity

Jordan: Islamists Gain Seats in Parliament

Jordan, Israel: Jordanian Gunman Kills Three Israeli Civilians at Border Crossing

MENA: Arab League Summit To Formalize Conditions for Gaza Reconstruction

Iraq, U.S.: Iraqi Parliamentarians Request Law To Remove Foreign Forces

U.S., MENA: U.S. Approves Strikes on Iran-linked Targets in Response to Deadly Jordan Attack

Jordan, Syria: Airstrikes in Syria Kill 10, Likely Part of Jordanian Crackdown on Drugs

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