Hundreds of Jordanian figures demanded the withdrawal of US forces

Hundreds of Jordanian political and legal figures signed an open letter demanding the withdrawal of US forces from Jordan, The Jerusalem Post.

Prof. Ronen Yitzhak told the newspaper that Iran was making headway in its effort to “sow discord within Jordan and create governmental chaos in order to expand Iranian influence.” He said the letter was a rare public challenge to the Jordanian government and was particularly “disturbing” because it was signed by both Palestinian and original Jordanian tribes.

The letter said the US military 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.” Jordan hosts around 4,000 American troops, according to the US Congress, and receives substantial US military assistance, the report said.

Yitzhak said Iran’s goal in launching missiles at Jordan and other Gulf states was to pressure Jordanians to demand the removal of the American presence. He described the demand for US forces to withdraw as “a fascistic call,” but said it was unlikely to affect King Abdullah’s rule.

The report said Amman’s relationship with Washington has been beneficial, with about $33.8 billion in bilateral US assistance from 1951 through fiscal year 2025 and another $2.5 billion in security assistance. The Central Bank of Jordan reported that tourism revenue in the first half of 2026 fell by 12% from expatriate Jordanians, 25% from US nationals and 28% from European nationals.

The article said Israel has been another source of tension between the Jordanian public and government. Sufyan al-Tell, identified as a political activist who signed the letter, told the New York Times that Jordan’s capabilities were being “exploited…one way or another to defend Israel,” while Yitzhak said King Abdullah has the sovereignty to make independent decisions under the constitution.