Hundreds of Jordanian politicians, lawyers, academics and civil society figures have signed an open letter calling for the withdrawal of US military forces from Jordan, in a rare public challenge to the kingdom’s authorities.
The signatories stressed that the US military presence threatens Jordan’s sovereignty and increases the risk of the country being drawn into a broader US-led regional war of aggression against Iran.
“We maintain that their presence exposes Jordan to security, political and economic risks that serve no national interest and increases the likelihood of our country being dragged into a regional conflict to which it is not a party,” the letter states.
The signatories said they were motivated by a sense of national responsibility and concern that the continued presence of American troops endangers Jordanian sovereignty.
In a message to the Jordanian people issued on Thursday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) praised growing public opposition to the US military presence in the kingdom.
“Noble and discerning people of Jordan, your sincere solidarity and cooperation, especially the forthright positions taken by groups of Jordanian intellectuals, have narrowed the enemy’s room for maneuver and left them frustrated and desperate.”
Sufyan al-Tell, a 90-year-old political activist, said he signed the letter to demonstrate that many Jordanians oppose the government’s close ties with the United States and Israel.
“We as Jordanian people do not accept the government’s policies or its use of Jordan and its capabilities in one way or another to defend Israel,” he said.
Al-Tell, who was detained in 2022 after planning to publicly criticize King Abdullah II, said hundreds more people had signed the letter despite fears of reprisals.
“The authorities’ response is to open the prison doors and take us to prison one by one,” he said.
Al-Tell said the presence of US forces also exposes Jordanians to danger, citing debris from Iranian missiles targeting Israeli-occupied territories that are intercepted by US air defense systems in Jordan.
Jordan hosts around 4,000 US troops and has served as a key hub for the ongoing American military aggression against Iran.
Amman’s close security partnership with Washington is reinforced by its reliance on US economic and military assistance, which totaled about $1.65 billion last year.
The letter comes as retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting US military sites in Jordan have intensified in recent weeks, triggering air raid sirens across the kingdom and raising concerns that the country is being drawn deeper into the regional war.
Last week, the IRGC issued a separate message to the Jordanian people, asserting that Iran has a legal, religious and logical right to strike US military bases used as launchpads for aggression against Iranian territory.
According to The New York Times, a recent session of Jordan’s parliament reflected growing tensions over the US military presence.
Lawmakers clashed after MP Ali al-Khalayleh proposed offering condolences following the deaths of US soldiers killed during Iranian retaliatory strikes in Jordan, prompting objections from other lawmakers, including one who accused the US military of killing civilians.
Al-Khalayleh “was met with shouts from other members, including one who stated that the US military was killing children, women and the elderly,” the report stated.
While the letter has circulated widely on social media, no Jordanian media outlet has published it, with analysts attributing the silence to government restrictions and widespread self-censorship.
The letter also comes amid growing scrutiny of freedom of expression in Jordan. Human rights organizations have criticized a legislation introduced in recent years, saying it has been used to prosecute journalists, activists and government critics.
In 2023, Jordan introduced strict penalties for offenses such as “spreading fake news” and “endangering social peace,” laws that rights groups say have been used against journalists, activists and other government critics.
Aaron Magid, author of The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan, said Jordanian authorities have prosecuted people not only for criticizing the government but also for criticizing its allies.
Authorities last year banned the Muslim Brotherhood, accusing it of plotting attacks inside the country.
Jordan has also played an active role in intercepting Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the Israeli-occupied territories.
