Jordan Reviews Defense Options as Pakistan’s Strategic Role in the Gulf Grows
新闻台署名 来源：新华社、《黎明报》、《阿拉伯新闻》、阿纳多卢通讯社与《分钟镜报》。由 GSRRA 编辑部翻译并节选。
Rising regional instability has increased the strategic importance of Pakistan, with analysts viewing Islamabad as an increasingly influential player due to its military capabilities, longstanding defense partnerships, and growing diplomatic role.
The changing security landscape following the Iran–US–Israel conflict has significantly altered geopolitical and geostrategic dynamics across the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf region. Rising regional instability has increased the strategic importance of Pakistan, with analysts viewing Islamabad as an increasingly influential player due to its military capabilities, longstanding defense partnerships, and growing diplomatic role.
Pakistan’s established security relationship with Saudi Arabia has further reinforced its position as a key regional defense partner.
Against this backdrop, Jordan is reassessing its national security posture amid escalating tensions and concerns that regional conflicts could spill over into its territory.
Recent Iranian military operations targeting sites in Jordan have heightened security concerns in Amman, raising fears that future attacks could threaten not only military-related facilities but also critical civilian infrastructure.
Iran has claimed that its actions were linked to alleged facilities supporting U.S. military operations in Jordan. The Jordanian government has rejected those allegations, maintaining that its cooperation with the United States is limited to defense and security coordination while denying the presence of permanent U.S. military bases on its soil.
Regional political and security analysts believe Jordan is exploring various options to strengthen its deterrence capabilities and enhance national defense preparedness. Among the possibilities being discussed in analytical and media circles is the expansion of defense cooperation with Pakistan.
Observers suggest that the long-standing Pakistan–Saudi Arabia defense partnership could serve as a model for broader military collaboration involving Jordan, potentially encompassing professional military training, intelligence sharing, defense cooperation, and capacity-building initiatives.
Analysts argue that deeper security ties with Pakistan could provide Jordan with greater strategic flexibility as regional governments seek to diversify their security partnerships amid increasing uncertainty over traditional defense arrangements.
Similar assessments indicate that Kuwait is also reviewing opportunities to strengthen defense cooperation with Pakistan as part of a broader effort to enhance regional security resilience.
There is currently no official confirmation from the Royal Hashemite Court, the Government of Jordan, or the Government of Pakistan regarding negotiations or the establishment of a formal strategic defense partnership or military alliance.
Accordingly, suggestions that Jordan is moving toward a defense pact with Pakistan remain analytical assessments and media speculation rather than confirmed policy. Any future development will depend on official announcements by the governments concerned.
Jordan’s evolving security assessment reflects the wider uncertainty shaping the Middle East’s strategic environment. While enhanced defense cooperation with Pakistan is increasingly discussed as a potential option by regional analysts, no formal decision has been announced. For now, the prospect remains a geopolitical scenario under observation rather than an established strategic policy.
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
