Foreign relations of Jordan

The foreign relations of Jordan have been consistently a pro-Western foreign policy.

United Kingdom and United States
Jordan has had close relations with the United States and the United Kingdom for many years. During the first Gulf War (1990), these relations were damaged by Jordan's neutrality and its maintenance of relations with Iraq. Later, Jordan restored its relations with Western countries through its participation in the enforcement of UN sanctions against Iraq and in the Southwest Asia peace process. After King Hussein's death in 1999, relations between Jordan and the Persian Gulf countries greatly improved.

In 2000, Jordan signed a Free Trade Agreement with the United States, which went into effect in 2010.

In 2013, the U.S. approved the CIA–led Timber Sycamore covert operation, based in Jordan, to train and arm Syrian rebels.

European Union
Jordan enjoys "advanced status" with the European Union and is part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, which aims to increase links between the EU and its neighbours.

Palestine and regional neighbours


Owing to its location, bordering Israel, Syria, and Iraq, Jordan has experienced wars along its borders for decades, and maintains careful diplomatic relations with Israel and its main ally, the U.S.

Along with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, Jordan was one of only three Arab nations to have signed peace treaties with Israel, Jordan's direct neighbour.

Jordan views an independent Palestinian state with the 1967 borders, as part of the two-state solution and of supreme national interest. The ruling Hashemite dynasty has had custodianship over holy sites in Jerusalem since 1924, a position reinforced in the Israel–Jordan peace treaty. Turmoil in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque between Israelis and Palestinians created tensions between Jordan and Israel concerning the former's role in protecting the Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem.

Jordan signed a non-aggression pact with Israel (the Washington Declaration) in Washington, D.C., on 25 July 1994. Jordan and Israel signed a historic peace treaty on October 26, 1994, witnessed by President Clinton, accompanied by Secretary of State Warren Christopher. The U.S. has participated with Jordan and Israel in trilateral development discussions during which key issues have been water-sharing and security; cooperation on Jordan Rift Valley development; infrastructure projects; and trade, finance, and banking issues.

Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which was annexed by Jordan since 1950, in 1967. Since 1967, Pakistan has been demanding its vacation at the international level. Jordan, together with Pakistan, is playing an effective role in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

2023 Israel-Hamas War
The political landscape of Jordan has changed as a consequence of the conflict between Israel and Hamas from October 2023. Prime minister Bisher al Khasawneh expressed his country's disapproval of Israel's offensive in Gaza by recalling its ambassador from Israel, and declared that Israel's ambassador, who had departed Amman following Hamas' attack, would not be permitted to return. Khasawneh argued that Israel's blockade of the heavily-populated Gaza Strip could not be justified as self-defense, and criticised the indiscriminate Israeli assault, which had included safe zones and ambulances in its targets.

Jordanian residents (including the approximately 2 million Palestinian refugees and others with Palestinian roots) have staged protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, which adds pressure to the government to take action on the issue. There is also evidence that there is more sympathy with Hamas among Jordanians in recent years. However, Jordan's Western allies view the kingdom as a potentially vital mediator, should Israel and Hamas agree to negotiate. King Abdullah has been taking part in diplomatic meetings in Europe, aiming to secure safe passage of humanitarian aid; however, the government is also grappling with domestic problems such as inflation, unemployment, and trafficking of arms and drugs through Jordan to the West Bank. The king and Queen Rania have criticised Israel's action in Gaza, and called for a ceasefire. Jordan's ambassador to Israel was recalled, and the Israeli ambassador was told to stay away. Queen Rania, whose family is Palestinian with roots in the West Bank town of Nablus, called on Western leaders to denounce Israel's attacks on Palestinian civilians in an interview aired on CNN in the U.S. There are fears of a huge influx of refugees into Jordan as a result of the Israel-Hamas War.

UN and other affiliations
Jordan is an active member of the UN and several of its specialised and related agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, and World Health Organization.

Jordan is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and of the Arab League.

It is also a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Jordan and Morocco tried to join the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2011, but the Gulf countries offered a five-year development aid programme instead.

Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Jordan maintains diplomatic relations with: