King of Jordan: We will not be a battlefield and we will not allow the lives of our people to be endangered

Jordan's King Abdullah II stressed on Sunday that his country "will not be a battlefield and will not allow the lives of its people to be endangered," amid fears of a military escalation between Iran on the one hand and Israel on the other.

A statement issued by the Royal Court quoted King Abdullah as saying during his reception of a delegation of assistants to members of the US Congress at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman, in a meeting that discussed "current developments in the region," that "Jordan will not be a battlefield, and will not allow the lives of its people to be endangered."

He stressed "the need to make every effort to reduce the escalation in the region and reach a comprehensive calm, to avoid sliding into a regional war."

The Jordanian King believed that "the region will remain vulnerable to the expansion of the circle of conflict that threatens its stability as long as the war on Gaza continues, which requires intensifying international efforts to stop the war by reaching an immediate and permanent ceasefire."

He also warned of "the danger of extremist settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, and violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem."

He reiterated the "need to find a political horizon to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), as it is the only way to ensure the security of the Palestinians, the Israelis and the entire region."

He pointed out the need to continue supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), to enable it to carry out its humanitarian tasks for millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the region, within its international mandate.

Concerns

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Saturday evening that "Jordan has clearly and explicitly informed Iran and Israel that it will not allow anyone to breach the Kingdom's airspace and endanger the lives of Jordanians."

He added, "Any target in Jordanian skies will be shot down, Jordan will not allow its airspace to be used, and anything passing over Jordanian airspace that we believe is a threat to us and to Jordanians will be confronted."

Fears of a regional escalation are growing, especially after Iran vowed to respond to the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, in an operation attributed to Israel.

In mid-April, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in response to a strike on its consulate in Damascus, in an unprecedented direct attack that was “thwarted” according to the Israeli military.

Jordan confirmed at the time that it had intercepted "flying objects" that had violated its airspace at the same time as the Iranian attack on Israel, pledging to confront any threat "from any party."

With American support, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 131,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and deadly famine.

Source: Agencies