{
  "id": 19275835,
  "title": "Jordan's ties with Syria at all-time high despite attacks, says ex-prime minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/jordans-ties-with-syria-at-all-time-high-despite-attacks-says-ex",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-10T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/11/10/jordans-ties-with-syria-at-all-time-high-despite-attacks-says-ex-prime-minister/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh claims Jordan's relations with Syria are at a 30-year high despite recent attacks. Jordan carried out air strikes in southern Syria two weeks ago, killing at least seven people and damaging ties between the two states. Al Khasawneh, who served as Minister of Defence from 2020 to 2024, spoke on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate. Jordan accused Syria of targeting ISIS militants in response to a shooting at a Jordanian church three days prior.\n\nThe Syrian-Jordanian Higher Co-ordination Council met in Damascus, bringing together six Jordanian and Syrian ministers to discuss improving bilateral relations and security cooperation. Al Khasawneh stated that the relationship between Syria and Jordan has not been this strong in at least 30 years. Jordan had faced border control challenges under former President Bashar Al Assad for the past 15 years, with drugs, munitions, and Captagon frequently entering the country. The Assad regime was known for producing and exporting Captagon to neighboring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.\n\nJordanian border guards recently clashed with 14 armed men attempting to enter the country from Syria and successfully thwarted their attempts. Jordan is now assisting Syria in areas such as security, administration, diplomatic training, institution-building, and even electricity provision. While their 360km border is not yet secure, Jordan is working to improve the situation. However, Al Khasawneh noted that terrorist activity still persists in Jordan, as evidenced by a deadly attack on St George's Orthodox Church in Hamoud earlier this month and a policeman killed in Amman. He warned that ISIS, though defeated territorially, can still reactivate cells through decentralization.\n\nRecent events have prompted countries in the region to strengthen their defence and military capabilities, particularly after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Makkah agreement. Syria has expressed interest in joining the pact, though Al Khasawneh declined to speculate about similar discussions taking place in Jordan. He emphasized that Jordan's national security is a top priority and that Jordan's assets and soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder with the GCC and other countries.",
  "summary": "Jordan 's relations with Syria are at a 30-year high point, former Jordanian prime minister Bisher Al Khasawneh told The National on Monday, two weeks after the kingdom carried out air strikes that killed at least seven people in southern Syria and damaged ties between the two states. Mr Al Khasawneh, who also served as minister of defence during his premiership from 2020 to 2024, was speaking on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}