Bryce Maloney ‘26

Opinions Editor

According to CNN, more than 120 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles lit up the night sky in Israel last Saturday, with 99% being intercepted before they could touch the ground. To many who follow geopolitics, this was no surprise, with reports detailing that the government of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the international community that an attack had become imminent. What really shocked onlookers was the response of Israel’s neighbor to the east, Jordan. In recent weeks, it has seemed as though the conflict in the Middle East has grown more grim, with the news that the Iranian government has launched missiles into Israeli territory in retaliation to a bombing of their embassy in Syria last week. However, many of those missiles never even made it to Israel, and were instead shot down by the pilots of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. In fact, shortly before the attack was fully underway, the King of Jordan issued a strong warning to the government of Iran: any missile that passed through Jordanian Airspace to attack Israel would be shot down at once. This development came as a shock to many–especially coming from the King of a country which houses nearly 2 million Palestinians within its borders. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, ruled over by its monarch Abdullah II, has been a key broker in the Middle East. Seen by many as a land of tolerance, it has maintained strong relationships with the west whilst also fostering a relationship with the State of Israel. 

The King himself is a picture of that liberalism which has made Jordan a key player on middle eastern issues. Born the son of King Hussein, best known for his role in the Six-Day War of 1967 against Israel and Princess Muna, a British Commoner with rumored Jewish roots. Himself married to a Palestinian, Abdullah II was educated in the United Kingdom and the United States. The King has on the whole taken a moderate approach to foreign affairs during his time on the throne. Being a prominent ally of the west during their fight against ISIS, the King was acclaimed worldwide as he personally took part in military missions to combat the terrorist group. In an attempted reprimand of the west, Abdullah canceled a summit with President Biden and Egyptian President El-Sisi last October. Rather awkwardly, the King rebuked Biden at a White House press conference over the crisis in Gaza in February as the President looked on with a somewhat stunned look on his face. His wife, the Kuwaiti-born Palestinian Queen Rania, has become a hero in Jordan for her strong and unforgiving advocacy for the people of Gaza. Which is why for many, King Abdullah’s decision came as such a shock, and even a betrayal to fellow Arabs who had hoped that the Kingdom would take a more hardlined stance toward Israel. With over 60% of Jordanians supporting Hamas after the October 7 attack on Israel, you might be inclined to understand why they feel that way. In fact, more than 60% of Jordan’s population is of Palestinian origins, and for decades Jordan has been the first to respond when the region fell into chaos and has welcomed their fellow Arabs with open arms as the refugee crisis in nearby countries escalated. 

That being said, what makes Jordan so unique in a region of such instability is their ability to walk the ‘tightrope’ of geopolitics– perhaps with more eloquence than any other nation on the globe. In hopes of maintaining his own internal stability, Abdullah appears to be just as comfortable conversing with both Western and Middle Eastern counterparts, thus aligning himself as a key asset for both sides. The gamble seems to be, if Abdullah does the intermediary negotiations necessary behind closed doors that countries might not necessarily want to do in public, he will be spared much of the instability and economic turmoil that would come from picking a side. Not unlike a herbivore in the wild, Jordan therefore relies on the goodwill of its neighbors to maintain its homeostasis. Almost entirely landlocked by some of the Middle East’s most unstable governments, Jordan has little in natural resources nor fail safes. Therefore, in the fullness of understanding King Abdullah II’s choice to shoot down Iranian rockets entering Israel through Jordanian airspace should be seen more as a deterrence of greater conflict in the Middle East than as a declaration of war against the Arab world. His decision came not necessarily to help protect the people of Israel but to ensure stable governance at home. 

A massive war in the Middle East would be both destructive and devastating, and while King Abdullah’s decision to strike down Iranian missiles flying over Jordan may seem like an unconscionable betrayal to some, it is perhaps the type of level headed thinking of which those at the head of this crisis are in desperate need. Should more leaders walk the path of the King of Jordan, cooler heads may indeed finally bring an end to this chaos.

Featured Image Courtesy of Reuters

Copy edited Lilly Baumfeld