The
Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; Romanization of Arabic, tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; Romanization of Arabic, tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levan ...
share a long but complicated relationship which has, at times, been tense and unstable. Jordan has an embassy in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
.
Historical relations
Antiquity
While there had been historical contacts between the two nations, for most of Jordanian history, the country fell under various Persian rule which started from the
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...
to the
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
. Because of this, a lot of Persian cultural heritages and influences can be found in Jordan. Both countries later embraced
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
, though Jordan went to become a
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
country in contrast to the
Shi'a
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
-dominated Iran.
Pahlavi Iran
Iranian–Jordanian relations under the
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...
in Iran was cordial, being pro-West oriented and hostile against communism. In the 1950s, King
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of ...
inaugurated a Jordanian embassy in Tehran, officially establishing relations with Iran. However, sometimes the relationship was tense, as Iran under Pahlavi dynasty had official relations with
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, which Jordan did not. Nonetheless, they were able to have a secure and healthy relationship. Hussein also made a number of visits to Iran under Pahlavi.
Islamic Republic of Iran
The outbreak of
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
and subsequent establishment of an Islamic regime in Iran changed their relationship drastically from positive to negative. Jordan, along with most of the Arabian states of the Persian gulf, immediately backed
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
on the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...
of 1980s. Due to Jordan's support for Iraq, even during the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, it took a decade before Iran and Jordan could re-normalize their relations.
On 2 and 3 September 2003, King
Abdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...
visited Tehran, making him the first Jordanian king to visit Tehran since the launching of the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979.
Nonetheless, the relation between the two countries remain tense, with Iran seeing Jordan's alliance with the West as a threat, and there being little economic cooperation between the two countries. In 2018, Jordan ruled out economic ties, reasoning that Iran is not a member of the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
.
Syrian Civil War
Jordan's relations with Iran became even more complicated as Jordan unofficially came out against the government of
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
in
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
(an ally of Iran), considering Iranian long-term presence in Syria as a threat to its security. Jordan was also alleged to have been working with Saudi Arabia,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, and Israel in an attempt to curb Iranian involvement in Syria.
On July 19, 2021, US president
Joe Biden met with Jordanian King
Abdullah II
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...
and discussed, among other things, the future of the
Syrian crisis. In that meeting, King Abdullah suggested Biden cooperate with Russia and the
Syrian Government
Government of the Syrian Arab Republic is the union government created by the constitution of Syria where by the president is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Syr ...
to help stabilize Syria and restore Syrian sovereignty and unity.
Iraq
During the rule of Saddam Hussein, Jordan maintained a "special status" with Iraq as it relied on Iraqi oil. Iraq also relied on Jordan during this time for use of its ports, as the UN had placed sanctions on Iraq for the invasion of Kuwait.
This support of Baathist Iraq resulted in a complete severance of ties between Jordan and Iran on January 31, 1981, and since then relations have remained fairly hostile, even after the two countries resumed diplomatic ties in 1991.
Jordan's ties with Israel and Saudi Arabia
Another key reason for tensions between Jordan and Iran is Jordan's relationship with
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
For many years, Jordan heavily depended on Saudi economic assistance. Jordan also shares similar political structure with Saudi Arabia, both are Arab monarchies and closely tied to the West. Growing Iranian influence brought Jordan and Saudi Arabia closer, with both denouncing Iran together in spite of the rise of Crown Prince
Mohammed Bin Salman
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, translit=Muḥammad bin Salmān Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. H ...
.
Jordan also shares a close tie with Israel, since the
Hashemites
The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921 ...
had unofficial relations with Israel throughout the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
until 1994, when the two countries established relations.
The Iranian Government has called for the elimination of Israel and pro-West Arab monarchies, prompting anti-Iranian reactions in both Jordan and Israel.
Some have alleged Saudi Arabian and Israeli involvement in the failed April 2021
coup attempt in Jordan, which has been related to Jordanian unofficial opposition to the '
deal of the century
''Deal of the Century'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by William Friedkin and starring Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines, and Sigourney Weaver.
The film follows the adventures of several arms dealers that compete to sell weapons to a South A ...
' proposed by the United States as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
Qatar crisis
Both Iran and Jordan had called to solve the
Qatar crisis diplomatically in hope to limit tensions. Jordan, while still maintaining its diplomatic presence within the country, had limited ties with
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, as Jordan is dependent on Gulf economically, especially after the
2018 Jordanian protests
The 2018 Jordanian protests started as a general strike organized by more than 30 trade unions on 30 May 2018 after the government of Hani Mulki submitted a new tax law to Parliament. The bill followed IMF-backed austerity measures adopted by M ...
. On the other side, Jordan feared the escalation of tensions between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
and the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
might give Iran an upper hand.
The New Levant Initiative
On 27 June 2021, at a trilateral summit in Baghdad, the Jordanian king announced an agreement with Egypt and Iraq to increase cooperation and trade, including the transport of oil from Iraq through Jordan (and Egypt). This officially became known as the “New Levant Initiative
'' (NLI). Following this agreement, Jordanian state media began promoting Iranian-Jordanian cooperation, and suggesting that this deal would increase Jordanian ties with Iran. It was suggested that Iran could build an airport in
al-Kerak, and begin the supply of oil to Jordan via Iraq to fulfill Jordan's economic needs.
Some Jordanian politicians such as Zaid Nabulsi, a member of the king's advisory board, and Mouafaq Mahadeen, a journalist with close ties to the ruling family, have also began promoting the idea of Iranian religious tourism to the shrine of
Jafar ibn Abu Talib in the city of
Karak Karak may refer to:
Places
* Al-Karak or Kerak, city and Crusader castle in Jordan
** Karak Governorate, Jordan
* al-Karak, Syria, city in Syria's Daraa Governorate
* Karak Nuh, village in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon
* Karak, Iran (disambiguation) ...
, the home of Jordan's Shiite minority. Jordanian king
Abdullah II
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...
also visited the site of the shrine in July 2021 in an attempt to promote it.
Iran Israel war
On the 10th of April, in a first Iran fired many missiles directly at Israel, Jordan's neighbour. Most of them were shot down by Israeli, American, British and Jordanian military personnel. Now Iran has made threats towards Jordan.
Iranian network intelligence in Jordan
Iranian intelligence networks in Jordan became more active after the establishment of an Islamic regime in Iran. In 2004, Jordanian King Abdullah II accused
Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi ( ar, أحمد عبد الهادي الجلبي; 30 October 1945 – 3 November 2015) was an Iraqi politician, a founder of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) who served as the President of the Governing Council of ...
, an Iraqi, of being an Iranian agent conspiring to attack Jordan.
In 2018, a top military commander of the
Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...
, Brigadier General
Ahmad Reza Pourdastan
Ahmad Reza Pourdastan ( fa, احمدرضا پوردستان) is an Iranian general serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Iran.
References
External links
If anyone poses threat to Iran, Army immediately knocks them out: Top comman ...
, revealed that Iran had intelligence data about military activity in a number of Arab countries in the Middle East, including Jordan, and threatened to attack if provoked.
Iranian embassy
The Iranian embassy is located in
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
.
* Ambassador
Mojtaba Ferdosipour
Jordanian embassy
The Jordanian embassy is located in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
.
* Ambassador
Nizar Nathir Mustafa Al-Qaisi
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iran-Jordan relations
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
Relations of colonizer and former colony