Jordan's king calls for de-escalation to avoid regional war

AMMAN, Jordan

Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for regional de-escalation on Sunday amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran.

The call came during a meeting between the monarch and a visiting a delegation from the US Congress in the capital Amman to discuss regional developments and Jordanian-US ties, the royal court said in a statement.

Abdullah emphasized the need for “maximum efforts to reduce tensions and achieve a comprehensive cease-fire to avoid a regional war,” the statement said.

“The region will remain vulnerable to an expansion of the conflict that threatens its stability, as long as the war on Gaza continues,” he warned, stressing the need for “intensified international efforts to secure an immediate and permanent cease-fire.”

“Jordan will not become a battleground and will not allow its people’s lives to be put at risk,” the king stressed.

Regional tension has escalated since the July 31 assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president.

While Iran has accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination and vowed to retaliate, Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied responsibility.

In April, during Iran's first direct attack on Israel, some missiles and drones crossed Jordanian airspace with Jordanian defenses intercepting some for violating the country's sovereignty.

Jordan said Saturday that it informed Iran and Israel that it will “shoot down any target” in its airspace in case the confrontation escalates between the two nations.

The tension comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed nearly 39,800 victims since last October, following an attack by Hamas.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi