Al-Ain media reports that the Muslim Brotherhood and a shadowy group within it in Jordan are seeking more support for Hamas and exploiting the protests. Together they may both be exploited by Iran.
Increasing protests in the Kingdom of Jordan are causing concern in the Gulf about the direction the protests may take. In addition there is concern that Iran is seeking to exploit the protests and work with the Muslim Brotherhood to undermine Jordan’s stability. A recent report at Al-Ain Media in the UAE examined this issue and is worth looking at in-depth to understand the developments.
First of all it’s worth noting that in the wake of October 7 Iran has sought to set the region aflame by operating its proxies and militias. It prodded Hezbollah to attack Israel on October 8 and pushed the Houthis to target Eilat and ships in the Red Sea.
It then mobilized militias in Iraq and Syria to attack US forces. More recently it has also prodded those militias to attack Israel with drones. In addition, the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah launched a drone attack against Jordan on January 27, killing three Americans at a desert outpost near the Syrian border.
Yesterday US forces in Tanf garrison in Syria also downed a drone flying in Syria near their post. It is likely that Iran viewed October 7 as the first shot in a longer war that is designed to bring Hamas to power in the West Bank and weaken the Palestinian Authority. To do this it has to weaken Jordan as well to weaken the PA’s eastern flank of stability that is guaranteed by Jordan’s support for the PA.
In addition, this week Abu al-Askari, spokesperson of Kataib Hezbollah threatened Israel and claimed that Iranian-backed militias in Iraq could help arm groups in Jordan to threaten Israel. This shows that Iraqi militias, backed by Iran, are increasingly looking to destabilize Jordan. In the past, pro-Iran gangs in southern Syria have also trafficked drugs near the Jordanian border and clashed with the Jordanian army. (Read More)