Disappointment in Jordan following the dissolution of the regional alliance: The London-based Al-Arab newspaper reported this morning (Tuesday) that Jordanian support for "Middle Eastern NATO" had been coldly received in Arab countries.
Yesterday it was reported in "Israel Today" that despite reports of contacts for the establishment of a regional defense alliance between Israel and the countries of the Abrahamic Agreements and other Arab countries, it appears that the move will not be implemented.
Under the original plan, the declaration of the founding of the alliance was to be delivered during a visit by US President Joe Biden to the region, later this week.
According to Al-Arab, Jordan wanted to play a role in negotiations with Israel or in a confrontation with Iran. "Middle East NATO", an alliance that can address the Iranian threat, was not enthusiastically accepted in Israel and the Gulf states.
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It is estimated that King Abdullah sought to present himself as an active figure in the Middle East as part of the new American approach that advocates strengthening relations between Israel and Arab countries, and that in Amman they even considered becoming the headquarters of the regional alliance.
At the same time, Jordanians have been complaining about the marginalization of their "regional role" in recent years and the coolness of relations between Jordan and the Gulf states in general - and Saudi Arabia in particular.
According to the report, Amman estimated that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman's visit would bring support for dealing with the effects of the corona and the war in Ukraine on the economic situation in Jordan.
However, this visit did not contribute to the warming of relations between the two countries - and no clear promises were made regarding Riyadh's assistance to Jordan.
King Abdullah and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman at their meeting in Amman last month, Photo: AFP
According to the newspaper, the dissolution of the regional alliance led to a change in the Jordanian position.
Earlier this week, Jordanian Prime Minister Bashar al-Khassawneh said his country did not see Iran as a source of threat to its national security and that Amman was ready to maintain relations with Tehran.
Against this background, Arab sources did not rule out the possibility that this was an attempt to attract the attention of the Saudis, who did not respond to the Jordanian initiative out of fear.
As you may recall, Riyadh itself has a dialogue with Tehran.
In light of this, observers wondered how Jordan could play two conflicting roles: on the one hand to call for an alliance with Iran and on the other hand to woo it to open up opportunities for influence in the region and Iraq, ones that might rescue it from the economic crisis.
Were we wrong?
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