Jordan remains steadfast US ally as regional tensions mount

AMMAN -- The close and longstanding relationship between Washington and Amman remains strong, officials recently reiterated, even as challenges to the region's stability and peace continue to endure.

Most recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated this bilateral bond in Amman on May 26 during the final stop of his Middle East tour.

"Jordan is more than a strategic partner to America. It's a friend," said Blinken.

He recognised the kingdom's "enduring role as a force for peace in the region", adding that this is one of the reasons the relationship is "so strong and so vital".

Blinken said King Abdullah's leadership has been crucial in many areas where Jordan and the United States work together, "including efforts to promote stability, economic opportunity and justice across the region".

Jordan has been a key member of the international coalition battling the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), and also hosts US troops deployed to the kingdom as part of the coalition.

In the face of regional tensions -- specifically with Iran's ongoing destabilising activity and the growing malign influence of Russia and China in the region -- US-Jordanian relations have remained solid, with US officials frequently expressing their support for the kingdom and its moderating influence in the region.

Long history of co-operation

The United States has a long history of co-operation and friendship with Jordan, with a deep-rooted, decades-long relationship that stems from common interests in the political, military and economic sectors, observers say.

The two nations established diplomatic relations in 1949, and the United States designed Jordan a major non-NATO ally in 1996.

Jordan occupies a strategic position in the heart of the region, said political scientist Khaled Shneikat, and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria and Israel.

It also operates a key port on the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba, which serves as a significant conduit for global trade.

Former ambassador Khaled Obeidat pointed to the "full co-operation" between Jordan and the United States in combating extremism and terrorism, "which have become the scourge of the international community".

"The United States often listens carefully to Jordan's advice in this regard, and considers Jordan a leader in combating extremism and terrorism," he said.

Jordanian forces have long operated in partnership with US forces, with US forces regularly joining their Jordanian counterparts for training at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre in Amman.

They have held numerous joint military exercises with US forces, including the annual Eager Lion drill and the Decisive Spear exercise.

The United States is Jordan's single largest provider of bilateral assistance, and in 2020 provided the kingdom with $425 million in foreign military financing, according to the State Department.

This aid is designed to meet "Jordan's legitimate defence needs, including preservation of border integrity and regional stability through the provision of materiel and training", it said.

Congressional Friends of Jordan

A standing caucus in the United States Congress, the Congressional Friends of Jordan, has been working for more than a decade to strengthen relations between Jordan and the United States.

Since it was formed in March 2008, the caucus has worked to build ties with Jordan and to educate and inform members of the US Congress on issues related to the relationship between the two countries.

It has worked to strengthen both nations' efforts to foster peace, stability and opportunity throughout the Middle East, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas between the US government and Jordanian officials.

The caucus has addressed topics such as increasing economic aid to Jordan and the provision of US scholarships to Jordanian students, said Shneikat.

The caucus also has worked to increase aid to Jordan, especially to the health sector, after the kingdom received waves of refugees from Iraq and Syria, he said, as well as encouraging trade and investment between Jordan and the United States.

Strong economic partnership

The United States and Jordan also benefit from an extensive economic partnership, a key element of which is the United States-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which marked its 20th anniversary last year.

The agreement was the first US FTA with an independent Arab country.

Marking the two-decade milestone in December, the US State Department said the FTA had helped to diversify the Jordanian economy, while growing trade between Jordan and the United States by more than 800% since 2000.

"The agreement has expanded the trade relationship by reducing barriers for services, providing cutting-edge protection for intellectual property, ensuring regulatory transparency, and requiring effective labour and environmental enforcement," it said.

The State Department also noted that the United States and Jordan have an "open skies" civil aviation agreement, an investment treaty and a science and technology co-operation agreement, among others.

"Such agreements bolster efforts to help diversify Jordan's economy and promote growth," it said.

In addition to the FTA, Obeidat said, the United States provides tangible financial support to Jordan through various means.

As one example, Jordan is able to export products manufactured in the kingdom to the US duty free under the Qualifying Industrial Zones programme, established by the US Congress in 1996.