Ammon News : Escalation remains the dominant theme across the region. With multiple open fronts, the Middle East has effectively turned into a battlefield that could flare up at any moment. Over the past two years of war, Israel has extended its operations across land and sky, stretching from Gaza to Tehran, and from Yemen to Lebanon.

As Israel pushes deeper into Gaza, while escalating its plans to annex the West Bank, Jordan’s challenges are becoming sharper and more pressing. Geography today imposes unavoidable realities, forcing Jordan to deal with them in unconventional ways, at the international, Arab, and most importantly, domestic levels.

Jordan is required to seek a real and effective role in the midst of these sweeping regional transformations that directly affect its security and stability. Such a role, however, can only be achieved through a pragmatic policy that safeguards Jordan’s importance in the eyes of its allies, while carefully balancing national interests with its security needs. Some argue that the chaos triggered by Israeli measures in the West Bank, particularly the possible collapse of the Palestinian Authority, could bring back proposals for a Jordanian role, or even administrative oversight over parts of the West Bank left outside Israel’s annexation. Theoretically, such scenarios might resonate in Washington. Practically, however, measuring today’s realities with the tools of the past risks creating illusions that only export the crisis instead of resolving it.

Jordan understands that a potential role in the coming equation could be a source of stability and a guarantee of international support. Yet, many of the proposals on the table might in fact push instability into Jordan itself, effectively dragging it into the consequences of Israeli policies. This is why Amman now faces the pressing task of defining clear and practical steps, ranging from diplomatic escalation to political pressure, while fully aware of Washington’s open alignment with Israel. That position has been underscored not only by the U.S. ambassador in Tel Aviv but also by the Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio. These realities leave Jordan with no choice but to adopt a pragmatic and results-oriented approach, thinking in terms of alternatives and ensuring that its vision is present and influential, rather than limited by rejection or objection.

The anticipated United Nations move to recognize the State of Palestine may prove to be a turning point. At the very moment such recognition is declared in New York, Israel could be acting on the ground to erase any Palestinian statehood in practice. This contradiction would place Jordan face to face with the consequences of a new reality that cannot be ignored.

Jordan’s challenges are not confined to its western border with Israel. They extend north to southern Syria, where terrorist groups and militias have turned the area into a hotspot for conflict and criminal activity, fuelled by smuggling networks linked to remnants of ISIS, now re-employed for profit by organized crime groups. Added to this is the situation in Sweida, where Jordan must acknowledge the centrality of the Druze community in any viable solution, rather than limiting dialogue to representatives of the provisional government in Damascus.

On the eastern front, the risks are also mounting, especially with the possibility of Israeli strikes against the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq, a front that has not been prioritized in recent years but could now be brought into Israel’s expanded scope of operations. Meanwhile, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba have also become arenas of concern, as Houthi rockets and drones continue to target Israel, with inevitable spillover into Jordan’s security environment.

It is now evident that the region is not what it was before October 7. Change has become inevitable in the structure of the Middle East. What we are already witnessing in Syria could extend to wider areas, particularly with open fronts and absent solutions. In this context, the search for a Jordanian role, or the creation of one, emerges not as a luxury but as a necessity. That role must be shaped with a high degree of pragmatism: influencing U.S. policy on one hand, while on the other hand crafting an Arab and international strategy capable of mobilization and real impact.

Ammon News : Escalation remains the dominant theme across the region. With multiple open fronts, the Middle East has effectively turned into a battlefield that could flare up at any moment. Over the past two years of war, Israel has extended its operations across land and sky, stretching from Gaza to Tehran, and from Yemen to Lebanon.

As Israel pushes deeper into Gaza, while escalating its plans to annex the West Bank, Jordan’s challenges are becoming sharper and more pressing. Geography today imposes unavoidable realities, forcing Jordan to deal with them in unconventional ways, at the international, Arab, and most importantly, domestic levels.

Jordan is required to seek a real and effective role in the midst of these sweeping regional transformations that directly affect its security and stability. Such a role, however, can only be achieved through a pragmatic policy that safeguards Jordan’s importance in the eyes of its allies, while carefully balancing national interests with its security needs. Some argue that the chaos triggered by Israeli measures in the West Bank, particularly the possible collapse of the Palestinian Authority, could bring back proposals for a Jordanian role, or even administrative oversight over parts of the West Bank left outside Israel’s annexation. Theoretically, such scenarios might resonate in Washington. Practically, however, measuring today’s realities with the tools of the past risks creating illusions that only export the crisis instead of resolving it.

Jordan understands that a potential role in the coming equation could be a source of stability and a guarantee of international support. Yet, many of the proposals on the table might in fact push instability into Jordan itself, effectively dragging it into the consequences of Israeli policies. This is why Amman now faces the pressing task of defining clear and practical steps, ranging from diplomatic escalation to political pressure, while fully aware of Washington’s open alignment with Israel. That position has been underscored not only by the U.S. ambassador in Tel Aviv but also by the Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio. These realities leave Jordan with no choice but to adopt a pragmatic and results-oriented approach, thinking in terms of alternatives and ensuring that its vision is present and influential, rather than limited by rejection or objection.

The anticipated United Nations move to recognize the State of Palestine may prove to be a turning point. At the very moment such recognition is declared in New York, Israel could be acting on the ground to erase any Palestinian statehood in practice. This contradiction would place Jordan face to face with the consequences of a new reality that cannot be ignored.

Jordan’s challenges are not confined to its western border with Israel. They extend north to southern Syria, where terrorist groups and militias have turned the area into a hotspot for conflict and criminal activity, fuelled by smuggling networks linked to remnants of ISIS, now re-employed for profit by organized crime groups. Added to this is the situation in Sweida, where Jordan must acknowledge the centrality of the Druze community in any viable solution, rather than limiting dialogue to representatives of the provisional government in Damascus.

On the eastern front, the risks are also mounting, especially with the possibility of Israeli strikes against the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq, a front that has not been prioritized in recent years but could now be brought into Israel’s expanded scope of operations. Meanwhile, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba have also become arenas of concern, as Houthi rockets and drones continue to target Israel, with inevitable spillover into Jordan’s security environment.

It is now evident that the region is not what it was before October 7. Change has become inevitable in the structure of the Middle East. What we are already witnessing in Syria could extend to wider areas, particularly with open fronts and absent solutions. In this context, the search for a Jordanian role, or the creation of one, emerges not as a luxury but as a necessity. That role must be shaped with a high degree of pragmatism: influencing U.S. policy on one hand, while on the other hand crafting an Arab and international strategy capable of mobilization and real impact.

http://en.ammonnews.net/article/84912