Jordanian Analyst Muhammad Faraj: The Only Way for Jordan to Solve Its Problems Is to Turn Its Back on Israel, America, Align Itself with Iran

MEMRI

Jordanian analyst Muhammad Faraj said in an October 3, 2019 interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that the only way for Jordan to solve its economic, social, and political problems is to turn its back on its historical alliances with the U.S. and Israel and turn to Iran, which he said is the country most seriously confronting schemes to eliminate the Palestinian cause and diminish Jordan’s geopolitical role. He said that Jordan’s role as a “buffer state” is no longer necessary because many Gulf countries are openly normalizing relations with Israel, making it necessary for Jordan to form an alliance with Iran, which he said is a model for independent national development in the Middle East and which he praised for supporting the Islamic resistance and the Palestinians.

Following are excerpts:

Muhammad Faraj: Jordan carries a heavy historical legacy with regard to its political alliances. I believe that shifting towards Iran would not be an easy thing for the Jordanian regime given the history of its political relations. It would have to completely turn its back on its political alliances, especially with the U.S., and on the peace agreement it signed with the Zionist entity. This might be difficult for the Jordanian political regime, but it is the only possible way to get Jordan out of its crises. There is no solution to the economic, social, and political problems facing Jordan today other than turning its back on these historical political alliances and opening up to other options, especially the Iranian option. I say the Iranian option because it is the most serious international option in confronting all the schemes to eliminate the Palestinian cause. These schemes that strive to eliminate the Palestinian cause also strive to remove, change, limit, and diminish Jordan’s geopolitical role. Historically, Jordan has played the role of a buffer state zone. As my colleague from Tehran said, the developing relations between the Zionist entity and the Gulf – and Saudi Arabia in particular – have become clear. Normalization [of ties with Israel] has become clear and out in the open, and as a result, this buffer entity [Jordan] is no longer needed.

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Iran is a model for independent development in this region. Despite all the economic sanctions imposed on Iran, its economy remains steadfast. Despite all the economic sanctions imposed on Iran, it still plays a role in the global economy.

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This [Iranian] model worries the United States. The other factor is that this independent sovereign model is capable of supporting the resistance axis and of providing the Palestinian factions with all forms of support. We always see that the American policy follows two parallel lines: It always tries to weaken Iran while trying to eliminate the Palestinian cause.