Why Iran and its militias have made Jordan a frontline in broader MIdeast conflict - analysis

BySETH J. FRANTZMANJULY 29, 2026 14:50One of the new developments in the recent conflict with Iran has been that Iran and its militias have increasingly targeted the Kingdom of Jordan. This has included ballistic missile attacks and also drone threats to the country. Americans have been killed in these attacks.In the most recent incident overnight on July 28-29, Jordan was forced to contend with new missile threats. The Associated Press noted that “Jordan’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the country’s military said, hours after the US military said it had knocked down an Iranian missile barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting.” The Jordanian military said it had intercepted and destroyed the missiles. Iranian state media said that the IRGC had targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. It also claimed to have targeted a US Central Command site in Jordan.In the past, Iran and Iranian-backed militias have also targeted other sites in eastern Jordan. One of the sites is called Tower 22. In January 2024, the Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq struck this site with drones and killed three American service members. Thus, Iran has seen Jordan as a potential frontline for years. It appears that Iran feels Jordan can be attacked and that the Kingdom is less likely to respond than the Gulf. It may see Jordan as a kind of soft underbelly of Western allies in the region. Iran has not attacked Israel, for instance. It has preferred to strike at Jordan.Jordan and Israel have long been linked by history and ties. Once part of the Ottoman Empire, both countries were briefly united under British control after the First World War. Then the Kingdom became a separate mandatory entity under British rule.The Kingdom of Jordan has maintained close ties with Britain and the West since its creation in the aftermath of the First World War. Transjordan emerged from the British Mandate system in the early 1920s under Abdullah I, a member of the Hashemite family that had cooperated with Britain during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. British officers helped organize and train the Arab Legion, which became one of the region’s most professional military forces.Smoke seen following reported missile launch from Iran toward Jordan, July 22, 2026. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)Jordan gained independence in 1946, but its relationship with Britain and the West remained important. During the Cold War, the monarchy increasingly became a key Western partner in the region. King Hussein, who ruled from 1952 until 1999, navigated threats from neighboring states and Palestinian terrorist groups and was close with Britain and the United States. Israel and Jordan had various levels of contact since the 1940s. This culminated in a peace deal in 1994.Jordan sits at crossroads of broader Mideast conflict, vulnerable to spilloverJordan is a monarchy and close to the Gulf. It is also tied to Syria through cultural and clan ties in northern Jordan. As such, it sits in a precarious position, at the crossroads of the region. It has always tried to hedge this, for instance during the Gulf War when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. It has always known the Kingdom is vulnerable to spillover from regional conflicts. This has happened frequently in the past.The United States gradually became Jordan’s most important Western supporter, providing extensive economic and military assistance. Under King Abdullah II, who succeeded Hussein in 1999, Jordan has remained a close US and Western security partner. Its strategic position between Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia has made the kingdom particularly important in counterterrorism, regional diplomacy and Western military strategy.Jordan has been doing outreach in Europe during the recent round of attacks. “Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and senior government and military officials held meetings on Tuesday with French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces and Veterans Alice Rufo to discuss defense cooperation and regional developments,” Arab News noted on July 28.The report added that “the crown prince warned of the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, calling for greater international efforts to halt the escalation, and highlighted the need to achieve comprehensive calm across the region.”Meanwhile, on July 27, the Jordanians also had to confront drone threats. “The Royal Jordanian Air Force intercepted and shot down a drone that breached Jordanian airspace early Tuesday, the Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army said,” Jordan’s Petra News Agency noted. “The military's official spokesperson said the drone was detected through the Armed Forces' surveillance and monitoring system before being brought down in the eastern desert inside Jordanian territory, in accordance with the approved rules of engagement.”It remains to be seen if Jordan will join the US in responding, the way the Saudis have done. The Kingdom has chosen to remain quiet during this conflict, despite being increasingly targeted.Follow us on Google