AMMAN — Jordan’s top diplomat dismissed
that Jordan would take part in a purported Middle East alliance that would
include Israel to confront Iran.
اضافة اعلان
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi told the Lebanese An-Nahar newspaper
that what has been circulated regarding an Israeli-Arab alliance to confront
Iran “is something that we have not heard about”.
“Jordan is not a part of it,” he said, adding that
the alliance will be put before an upcoming summit that will bring the leaders
of nine Arab countries together with the US president in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Safadi’s comment came a week after His Majesty King
Abdullah said he would support the formation of a Middle East military
alliance, similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with
like-minded countries. The king did not refer to Israel and Safadi’s comments
clarified mounting speculation that Israel would take part in the alliance to
confront the growing influence of Shiite Iran in the predominately Sunni-ruled
region.
In an interview with CNBC anchor and senior
international correspondent Hadley Gamble in Amman, the King said Jordan boasts
of a quick deployment force, which has participated in several peacekeeping
missions worldwide.
Safadi pointed out that Jordan is studying the
possibility of a joint Arab action mechanism that will “enable us to face
common challenges”.
The minister pointed to the Treaty of Mutual Defense and
Economic Cooperation of the Arab League, which was signed in the 1950s, but has
been activated since.
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