Jordan Views Israeli West Bank Annexation as Greater Existential Threat Than Iran

Jordan endures frequent Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. installations, yet officials argue that Israel’s accelerating annexation plans pose a far greater existential danger. They warn that even a limited annexation of Area C could bring as many as 500,000 Palestinian refugees into Jordan, exacerbating public-debt, unemployment and ethnic tensions rooted in the historic divide between tribal Jordanians and Palestinian Jordanians.

King Abdullah has labeled annexation a red line, suggesting Amman would nullify the 1994 peace treaty, shut crossings such as the King Hussein Bridge, and seek U.S. intervention. The prospect of a mass population transfer threatens the monarchy’s delicate political balance and its role as a U.S. strategic partner. Recent Israeli political shifts have mainstreamed annexation support, while the international community’s muted response fuels Jordanian fears that Washington may side with Israel. Consequently, Jordan’s stability, long viewed as a bulwark for regional security, is now seen as vulnerable to Israeli expansionism.