Jordan’s FM to make rare visit to Iran as US allies scramble
Aug 4, 2024 17:18:42 GMT -5
Post by shalom on Aug 4, 2024 17:18:42 GMT -5
Jordan’s FM to make rare visit to Iran as US allies scramble to prevent escalation
Ayman Safadi will meet with Iranian counterpart in Tehran, making him first top Jordanian official to visit Islamic Republic in two decades
By Agencies and ToI Staff
Today, 2:37 pm
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will travel to Iran on Sunday in a rare visit to discuss regional developments with his Iranian counterpart following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
Safadi, who will be the first senior Jordanian official to pay an official visit to Iran in 20 years, is expected to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Khan, and other senior officials in Tehran later on Sunday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Safadi “will deliver a message from His Majesty King Abdullah II to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the situation in the region and bilateral relations,” Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Regional tensions have spiked following the assassination of Haniyeh on Wednesday, which came hours after an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. Fearing an all-out war in Lebanon, Jordan has called on its citizens to evacuate the country.
Hamas and Iran have both accused Israel of assassinating Haniyeh and have pledged to retaliate. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the death nor denied it.
Safadi has also accused Israel of becoming a “rogue state” by assassinating Haniyeh, who was in Iran for the inauguration of newly elected Pezeshkian.
Safadi’s visit to Iran follows continued diplomatic contacts by the United States and its partners including France, Britain, Italy, and Egypt on Saturday to prevent further regional escalation.
Jordan, which borders Israel to the east, would likely be in the path of any Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, citing “the developments taking place in the region” and concerns for its citizens’ safety, Jordan’s foreign ministry on Saturday urged all Jordanian nationals in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible, and said those planning to travel to Lebanon should not do so.
The Hashemite Kingdom’s flag carrier, Royal Jordanian Airlines, resumed flights to and from Beirut on Thursday morning. The carrier suspended the route on Monday, as Lebanon awaited an Israeli response to Hezbollah’s missile attack on Saturday, which killed 12 children in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights.
Iran and Jordan are seeking to improve their relations following recent tensions related to Amman accusing pro-Iranian militias in Syria of smuggling narcotics into the country.
Tensions have also flared over Jordan’s participation in a US-led coalition that intercepted Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel the night of April 13-14, which Iran said was in retaliation for the killing of its generals in an alleged Israeli strike in Syria on April 1.
Jordan cooperates with American forces under the umbrella of the US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East and works closely with other militaries, including those of Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The last time a senior Jordanian official traveled to Iran on an official visit was in 2004 when then-prime minister Faisal al-Fayez went to Tehran.
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Ayman Safadi will meet with Iranian counterpart in Tehran, making him first top Jordanian official to visit Islamic Republic in two decades
By Agencies and ToI Staff
Today, 2:37 pm
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will travel to Iran on Sunday in a rare visit to discuss regional developments with his Iranian counterpart following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
Safadi, who will be the first senior Jordanian official to pay an official visit to Iran in 20 years, is expected to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Khan, and other senior officials in Tehran later on Sunday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Safadi “will deliver a message from His Majesty King Abdullah II to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the situation in the region and bilateral relations,” Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Regional tensions have spiked following the assassination of Haniyeh on Wednesday, which came hours after an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. Fearing an all-out war in Lebanon, Jordan has called on its citizens to evacuate the country.
Hamas and Iran have both accused Israel of assassinating Haniyeh and have pledged to retaliate. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the death nor denied it.
Safadi has also accused Israel of becoming a “rogue state” by assassinating Haniyeh, who was in Iran for the inauguration of newly elected Pezeshkian.
Safadi’s visit to Iran follows continued diplomatic contacts by the United States and its partners including France, Britain, Italy, and Egypt on Saturday to prevent further regional escalation.
Jordan, which borders Israel to the east, would likely be in the path of any Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, citing “the developments taking place in the region” and concerns for its citizens’ safety, Jordan’s foreign ministry on Saturday urged all Jordanian nationals in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible, and said those planning to travel to Lebanon should not do so.
The Hashemite Kingdom’s flag carrier, Royal Jordanian Airlines, resumed flights to and from Beirut on Thursday morning. The carrier suspended the route on Monday, as Lebanon awaited an Israeli response to Hezbollah’s missile attack on Saturday, which killed 12 children in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights.
Iran and Jordan are seeking to improve their relations following recent tensions related to Amman accusing pro-Iranian militias in Syria of smuggling narcotics into the country.
Tensions have also flared over Jordan’s participation in a US-led coalition that intercepted Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel the night of April 13-14, which Iran said was in retaliation for the killing of its generals in an alleged Israeli strike in Syria on April 1.
Jordan cooperates with American forces under the umbrella of the US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East and works closely with other militaries, including those of Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The last time a senior Jordanian official traveled to Iran on an official visit was in 2004 when then-prime minister Faisal al-Fayez went to Tehran.
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