Jordan condemns attack on US troops, seeks US support against Iranian influence

(Patria) - Jordan on Sunday condemned the "terrorist attack" on a military outpost just across the border with Syria in which three US military personnel were killed and dozens injured, Reuters reported.

In its first official statement on the attack, a staunch US ally, Jordan said it was cooperating with Washington in the fight against terrorism. Earlier, a government spokesperson said the attack was on a US base in Syria near the border, but not on Jordanian soil.

A senior Jordanian security source told Reuters that Jordan had recently appealed for more advanced US defense hardware and support due to concerns that Iran and its allies could be more deeply involved in any wider Middle East conflict.

Jordan recently warned Washington of the urgent need to strengthen its defenses against Iran-backed militias that are strengthening on Jordan's borders with Iraq and Syria, the official said. There is growing concern within the Jordanian military and security establishment that Iranian militias, which now hold sway in southern Syria, are exploiting the Gaza war to achieve a security breakthrough.

Some Jordanian officials say pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria, which have been attacking US bases in the region since the war between Israel and Hamas, are also using the drug war to put pressure on Jordan, which hosts hundreds of US soldiers.

Jordan has also requested a Patriot air defense system from Washington as part of its growing concerns that it will be caught in the crossfire if the Gaza war draws Iran and its well-armed regional militias to the kingdom's borders.

The presence of US troops in Jordan is a sensitive issue in a country where anti-American sentiment is high due to Washington's support for Israel in the war against Hamas. The Jordanian government signed a defense agreement with the United States in January 2021, offering US forces "unhindered access" to several Jordanian military facilities.