Jordan's Military Strikes: The Underlying Reasons

(MENAFN- Amman Net) The recent military strikes carried out by Jordan inside Syria over the past few days were not the first of their kind. Jordan has previously conducted similar operations at various times in different areas of southern Syria.

However, the strikes in As-Suwayda are different for multiple reasons. While official Jordanian statements openly cited the presence of drug and weapons factories and centers, the deeper objective is more implicit, hinting at the possibility of repeated strikes and potential expansion to other timeframes.

Northern Jordan faces threats from drug and weapons traffickers as well as separatist projects aimed at creating mini-states, which could open the door to broader risks within Syria and Jordan. There is also concern over escalating chaos in southern Syria, with scenarios suggesting the emergence of various armed groups attempting to infiltrate Jordan. Additionally, Israeli actions contribute to creating risks exported to Jordan under separatist pretexts, while their real aim is destabilizing northern Jordan in preparation for a future stage.

Jordan's strikes are officially justified as targeting drugs, weapons, and infiltration. Yet, there are certainly secondary targets previously alluded to. Jordan maintains intelligence networks in southern Syria, some established during the Syrian chaos or after the regime's fall, providing sensitive information about everything in the region. Some of these networks are linked to Syrians in Jordan with special ties to Amman, built over years through tribal and social connections. Others involve groups in southern Syria that see Jordan as a protective barrier against these schemes.

Throughout the years of Syrian chaos, Jordan has not faced threats from southern Syria merely through rhetoric, but through sustained military and intelligence efforts. Movements of Syrians in Jordan, whether returning to Syria or maintaining contact with the interior, remain under close monitoring. Jordan recognizes that forces in southern Syria aim to link the region with internal networks under various pretexts, including appeals that appear humanitarian but carry serious security implications, seeking to legitimize separatist initiatives in southern Syria as a precursor to a highly sensitive stage.

A key question arises regarding Jordan's ability to manage this array of objectives amid contradictions with the Americans and Israelis. This is significant because Jordan might appear to act against the interests of other parties. However, there have been changes, and the map of As-Suwayda-or southern Syria more broadly-cannot be read as it was weeks ago. Jordan has leveraged the current moment, particularly its intelligence, which indicates that As-Suwayda and surrounding rural areas, along with other zones, have become major arsenals and hubs of conflicting social groups. This enables Jordan to assess the potential for widespread civil war near its borders, which could again export the crisis into Jordan through refugee flows and other security issues.

Military strikes may be repeated soon, targeting undeclared alliances linked to drugs, weapons, funding, conflicts, separatist projects, the emergence of armed groups, and attempts to entangle Jordan in chaos.

Al-Ghad Newspaper

MENAFN28122025000209011053ID1110531126