Videos appearing to show smoke near the base fueled questions about possible missile impacts.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan early Wednesday morning, marking what American officials described as a “surprise attack” and a significant departure from the recent pause in direct hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

The strike came after several days of relative calm. The United States had suspended its bombing campaign against Iran after carrying out airstrikes for 13 consecutive nights, while Iranian officials told international media outlets that Tehran would halt attacks on American military assets so long as the U.S. refrained from further strikes.

It remains unclear what prompted Iran to abandon that apparent understanding.

According to U.S. and Jordanian officials, Iran fired at least five ballistic missiles toward the American installation in the early hours of Wednesday.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack in a post on X, describing it as an attempted surprise strike.

“IRGC forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East,” the post read.

Jordan’s military also confirmed that the missiles entered the kingdom’s airspace but emphasized that its air defenses successfully intercepted the incoming projectiles.

“Air defenses this morning dealt with five missiles coming from Iran targeting the kingdom’s territory,” a Jordanian military spokesman said in a media statement, emphasizing that the missiles were “intercepted and downed.”

Despite those assurances, videos circulating on social media appeared to show a large plume of smoke rising from the vicinity of the U.S. base, prompting speculation that at least one missile may have landed near the installation. The authenticity and exact location of the footage could not be independently verified, and neither U.S. nor Jordanian officials immediately acknowledged any successful impacts.

Speaking anonymously to The Jerusalem Post, a senior U.S. official characterized the incident as a serious escalation.

“This was a major attack,” the official said.

Shortly after the missiles were launched, Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi — an American-Iranian academic widely regarded by many analysts as closely aligned with the Iranian regime — posted a message on X suggesting Tehran was prepared for further escalation.

Iran is “fully prepared for all-out war,” Marandi wrote.

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Israel shoots down drones approaching its eastern frontier; attacks also reported in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.

By World Israel News Staff

A wave of drone attacks and interceptions was reported across Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq on Monday and Tuesday, despite a temporary halt in direct fighting between the US and Iran.

The Israeli Air Force intercepted an unmanned aircraft near the Jordanian border early Tuesday, marking the second consecutive day that drones were detected in the area, the IDF said.

The drone did not enter Israeli territory, and the military said no warning sirens were activated “in accordance with protocol.” The IDF said it was investigating where the aircraft had been launched.

The incident followed the interception of two additional drones near the Jordanian border on Monday.

“A short while ago, the IDF intercepted two UAVs identified in the area of the Jordan border,” the military said following Monday’s incident.

“The UAVs did not cross into Israeli territory. The origin of the launch is under review.”

Jordanian forces separately shot down two drones that the country’s military said were “targeting the kingdom” on Monday. The Royal Jordanian Air Force reported that the interceptions caused no casualties or material damage.

Jordan intercepted another drone over the eastern part of the country on Tuesday after it entered Jordanian airspace. Jordanian and Israeli officials did not publicly identify the origins of the aircraft involved in the two days of incidents.

The interceptions came as Saudi Arabia reported a more extensive assault on its energy infrastructure.

Saudi air defenses destroyed drones targeting oil facilities in the Eastern Province and the capital, Riyadh, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry. Riyadh said the aircraft had been launched from Iraq by Iran-backed armed groups.

Saudi Arabia condemned what it called the “aggression” and said it retained the right to respond against those responsible. The Saudi Foreign Ministry called on Baghdad to take “all necessary measures” to prevent Iraqi territory from being used as a launching point for attacks on the kingdom.

Iraq’s prime minister ordered an investigation and said Iraq would not permit its territory to be used for attacks against neighboring countries.

No Iraqi militia immediately claimed responsibility for the launches.

Satellite imagery and videos circulating after the attack appeared to show smoke rising from the Abqaiq oil-processing facility in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Wall Street Journal reported that the facility sustained minor damage, although Saudi Aramco did not immediately provide a detailed public assessment.

Abqaiq is one of the most important oil-processing installations in the world. An attack on the facility in September 2019 temporarily disrupted a significant portion of Saudi production.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement separately claimed that it had attacked sensitive Saudi oil-transport infrastructure connecting the kingdom’s eastern production areas with the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the operation was retaliation for what the group described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.

It was not immediately clear whether the Houthis were claiming the same attacks Saudi Arabia attributed to Iraqi militias or a separate operation against the east-west oil network.

The pipeline to Yanbu has become increasingly important as Saudi Arabia seeks to move oil to the Red Sea without relying on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has restricted shipping through the strait during its conflict with the US, disrupting a waterway that normally handles roughly one-fifth of global oil traffic.

The Houthis last week threatened to blockade Saudi oil activity in the Red Sea, potentially extending the disruption from the Strait of Hormuz to another critical maritime corridor.

Saudi Arabia has responded to the Houthi escalation with airstrikes against what it described as military installations at Yemen’s Hodeidah port. Riyadh said the operations were intended to protect maritime traffic and the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.

The renewed hostilities threaten to unravel the informal truce that largely halted direct fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis beginning in 2022.

Drone attacks were also reported in northern Iraq, where camps housing Iranian Kurdish opposition organizations came under fire. Iraqi security officials did not initially identify who launched the aircraft.

Additional explosions were reported around Erbil early Tuesday, including in areas northeast of the Kurdistan Region’s capital. Local reports said drones targeted the Khalifan and Soran areas, while explosions were heard near the US Consulate.

The attacks reportedly caused fires, but there was no immediate confirmed casualty toll. The Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah was also reported to have come under attack.

Iran has repeatedly targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in northern Iraq, accusing them of cooperating with Israel and the US and of organizing attacks inside Iranian territory. Tehran has also pressured Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government to disarm the organizations and move them away from the Iranian border.

The regional drone activity continued even as President Donald Trump said the US and Iran were conducting encouraging negotiations following his decision to suspend nearly two weeks of American airstrikes.

“We’re having good talks,” Trump said Monday. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen.”

Trump warned, however, that US military operations would resume if diplomacy failed.

Iran disputed Trump’s description of the contacts. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei acknowledged that messages were being exchanged through intermediaries but denied reports that Tehran had requested renewed negotiations.

“This is not in our DNA,” Baghaei said.

A senior Iranian official had previously said Tehran would suspend its attacks for as long as the US maintained its pause. Iran has not acknowledged responsibility for the drones intercepted near Israel and Jordan or for the attacks reported in Saudi Arabia.

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A US soldier stationed at the Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan secretly recorded an Iranian missile attack targeting the base. The footage shows him and several other soldiers taking cover in a shelter.

WATCH: Footage filmed by a U.S. soldier during an Iranian missile barrage targeting Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. pic.twitter.com/vM3Kst98xA

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 22, 2026

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Deadly Iranian attacks underscore Jordan’s strategic importance to American military operations across the Middle East.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) bragged that Jordanian civilians and members of the country’s military and security forces provided intelligence used to target U.S. assets inside Jordan, claiming that individuals within the kingdom assisted Iranian military operations without offering any evidence to support the allegation.

The claim was made in a media statement released shortly after Iran launched a large-scale drone and missile barrage toward Jordan on Sunday, targeting areas where American forces are stationed.

“We thank the residents of Jordan and the soldiers of the Jordanian Army for their cooperation and the precise intelligence you provided, which enabled the precise targeting and destruction of 20 buildings in the area of Al-Azraq Air Base where US soldiers were stationed,” the IRGC claimed in the statement.

Neither Iranian officials nor state media presented evidence to substantiate the allegation, and Jordan has not publicly acknowledged any cooperation between its soldiers and citizens and Iran. The kingdom has long been one of Washington’s closest security partners in the Middle East and hosts U.S. military personnel as part of regional counterterrorism and security operations.

Sunday’s strike came just one day after another Iranian attack on U.S. military assets in Jordan that killed three American servicemen.

David Deptula, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general who helped plan coalition air operations during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, said Jordan’s strategic importance explains why it has become a repeated target of Iranian attacks.

The U.S. Air Force presence in Jordan provides the ability to carry out “more efficient air operations across Syria, Iraq and the broader region,” Deptula told The New York Times.

He added that attacks on Al-Azraq Air Base are intended to pressure Jordan politically as much as they are designed to damage military infrastructure.

Iranian strikes on the installation, he said, are “an attack on the U.S. regional coalition and an attempt to make the political cost of hosting American forces greater than the security benefit.”

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The US embassy issued an urgent notice to American citizens in Jordan instructing them to avoid the airport and seaport in Aqaba entirely and to stay away from military bases across the kingdom.

By Gila Isaacson, JFeed

The IDF said Sunday it had detected ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the Jordanian city of Aqaba, directly across the water from Eilat, warning that debris or fallout from the strikes could spill over into Israeli territory.

An IDF spokesperson said there may be spillover into Israeli territory as a result of the fire and that sirens could be activated in southern Israel as a precaution.

The military said that if a siren sounds, residents should enter protected spaces immediately and remain there until further notice, adding that for now there is no change to Home Front Command guidelines and that the public will be updated if the assessment changes.

No sirens were ultimately activated in Eilat itself, although Israel’s Iron Dome launched interceptors over fears of falling debris.

In addition, a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned around in mid-air due to the launches.

According to the Times of Israel, the US Aegis system intercepted the missiles headed toward Aqaba.

Aqaba sits directly across the Gulf of Eilat from the Israeli city and from Israeli communities in the Arava region, separated by only a few kilometers.

That immediate proximity has repeatedly raised concern within Israel’s defense establishment that interceptor debris or fragments of incoming missiles could land on Israeli soil, as has happened in past rounds of fighting in the area.

Earlier Sunday, Jordanian authorities reportedly evacuated Aqaba’s international airport and seaport entirely, according to the US embassy in Amman, though Jordanian officials, per Al Jazeera, denied that any evacuation had taken place.

The evacuation was said to follow specific and credible intelligence of a concrete threat.

Shortly afterward, the US embassy issued an urgent notice to American citizens in Jordan instructing them to avoid the airport and seaport in Aqaba entirely and to stay away from military bases across the kingdom.

The developments come just hours after US Central Command confirmed that two American soldiers were killed and a third remains missing following a direct Iranian strike on a US military base in Jordan, the first American combat deaths in the country since fighting resumed in the region.

Officials in Washington told American media that beyond the two fatalities, dozens of American troops have been wounded in varying degrees over recent days amid repeated waves of strikes.

The fatal strike reportedly hit Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a strategic facility that has also previously hosted the advanced American THAAD missile defense system, which was itself damaged in earlier rounds of fighting.

US and regional defense officials have expressed deep concern over the technological capabilities Iran displayed in its recent attacks, with military experts noting the missiles used showed unusually high speed and maneuverability as they approached their targets, complicating interception efforts by Western defense systems.

Washington’s central worry is that Tehran is receiving close technological and intelligence assistance from powers such as Russia or China aimed at improving the accuracy of strikes on sensitive American assets. Media outlets aligned with the Iranian regime, meanwhile, moved quickly to publicize satellite imagery they say shows the strike destroyed hangars used to prepare fighter jets at the American base.

The American response was swift, with US forces launching a broad new wave of strikes on Iran, marking the eighth consecutive night of American attacks.

The exchanges triggered sirens and warning signals overnight in neighboring Kuwait and Bahrain as well, underscoring the potential for the fighting to spread into a wider regional war.

Jordan, a longtime Western ally and a quiet security partner of Israel, has found itself increasingly on the front line of the conflict, with the direct threat to Aqaba raising alarm within Israel’s security establishment given its immediate proximity to Eilat and the Arava.

Following the rapid escalation, the US State Department raised its alert level and issued a global travel advisory, along with a specific warning for the Middle East explicitly naming Jordan and Israel.

Americans were urged to reconsider travel to the entire region given the potential for unpredictable escalation and concern that diplomatic facilities could become targets.

The public has also been warned of possible severe travel disruptions, mass flight cancellations and possible regional airspace closures in the immediate term, effects already being felt in Middle East flight schedules.

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Iran’s expanding missile campaign claimed its first American lives of the renewed conflict, as two US troops were killed defending a military base in Jordan from a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones.

By World Israel News Staff

Two American service members were killed Friday while helping defend a US base in Jordan from a massive Iranian missile and drone attack, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday.

The attack marks the first publicly announced American combat deaths since the latest phase of the US-Iran conflict began and brings the total number of US military personnel killed in the war to 16.

CENTCOM said the troops were killed as US and partner forces intercepted a large barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.

A third American service member remains missing in action.

Four additional US troops were evacuated to hospitals in Jordan for treatment but have since been released, while several others suffered minor injuries and have already returned to duty.

The military said it will not release the identities of the fallen until at least 24 hours after their families have been notified.

The strike on Jordan was part of a wider Iranian assault targeting US and allied positions across the Gulf, including in Kuwait and Bahrain, following another night of American airstrikes against Iranian military targets.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted multiple incoming missiles and drones over its territory during the attack.

The deaths come as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to intensify.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, accused the United States of repeatedly violating the memorandum of understanding intended to reduce the fighting.

He declared that President Donald Trump’s signature on the agreement is “utterly worthless and devoid of credibility.”

Khamenei has also threatened to teach the United States what he called “unforgettable lessons,” while Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced that Tehran has suspended its commitments under the interim agreement, blaming Washington for violating its terms.

Meanwhile, the United States has expanded its military campaign.

Recent strikes have targeted Iranian bridges, key rail links used for trade with China and Russia, air defense systems, missile and drone storage facilities, and naval infrastructure along Iran’s southern coast.

According to Iran’s Health Ministry, US strikes since June 27 have killed 50 people and wounded more than 500 others.

The Jordan attack is the deadliest day for US forces since the conflict resumed and the first fatal strike against American troops in the kingdom since the January 2024 drone attack on the Tower 22 outpost near the Syrian border.

That assault, carried out by an Iranian-backed militia, killed three US Army Reserve soldiers and wounded dozens more, making it the deadliest attack on American forces in the region since Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel.

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The US dramatically expanded its campaign overnight, striking targets around Tehran, Semnan—home to Iran’s ballistic missile program—and Bandar Abbas, the regime’s main naval hub on the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said the seven-hour operation targeted command centers, air defenses, missile and drone sites.

As the strikes intensified, reports said President Donald Trump is weighing a major escalation, including deploying US troops to seize Kharg Island—Iran’s main oil-export terminal—and other strategic islands near the Strait of Hormuz, dramatically increasing pressure on Tehran.

Iran claimed missile and drone attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait and Jordan, while Kuwait reported intercepting hostile drones, Bahrain sounded air raid sirens and Jordanian media said eight Iranian missiles were shot down. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz also fell sharply after Tehran declared the waterway closed, raising fears of a major disruption to global energy supplies.

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“Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately,” the embassy warned.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran launched a missile attack toward Jordan on Thursday, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming it targeted the U.S.-operated Muwaffaq Salti Air Base as the confrontation between Washington and Tehran continued to spread across the region.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight Iranian missiles launched toward the kingdom, preventing them from reaching their intended targets.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a nationwide security alert, warning of “missiles, drones, or rockets” in Jordanian airspace and instructing U.S. citizens to seek immediate shelter.

“Reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace. Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately,” the embassy said.

The missile launches temporarily disrupted air travel, with all flights at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport delayed as Jordan responded to the aerial threat.

The attack followed a broader Iranian retaliatory campaign earlier Thursday. Iran announced it had launched a large-scale barrage of missiles and explosive drones at U.S. military installations in Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, claiming to have struck an aerial early warning system in Qatar, fuel storage facilities in Bahrain, and a Patriot missile battery in Kuwait.

Iranian state media said the attacks targeted “key infrastructure and facilities” associated with the U.S. military presence across the Gulf.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a drone strike hit a camp belonging to the Iranian Kurdish opposition northeast of Erbil in Iraq, adding another front to the rapidly expanding conflict.

The latest attacks came as the United States continued its military campaign against Iran. Iranian media reported explosions Thursday in several cities, including Kerman, Bushehr, Asaluyeh, and Bandar Abbas.

Iranian state media also quoted the deputy governor of Bushehr province as saying U.S. projectiles struck areas surrounding the Bushehr nuclear power plant. According to the official, several locations in the province, including the perimeter of the nuclear facility, were hit during the latest wave of American strikes.

The widening exchange follows consecutive nights of U.S. strikes on Iranian military infrastructure after Tehran targeted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, fueling concerns that the conflict is expanding into a broader regional war.

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Jordan reportedly faces a severe water shortage and needs the agreement with Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Jordan is expressing anger over Israel’s continued refusal to renew an agreement that provides the kingdom with additional water supplies, with a Jordanian official saying the issue is an important part of the countries’ peace treaty.

“Water is very important for us, and it is also part of the peace agreement,” a Jordanian source close to the government told Kan News on Monday, without directly referring to the dispute over the renewal of the additional water agreement.

Israel has not renewed the agreement, whose main provisions are anchored in the peace treaty between the two countries and under which Jordan receives additional water at a discounted price, according to the report.

The agreement has not yet been signed, and sources who spoke with Kan News said there is currently no expectation that it will be renewed.

The situation has sparked anger in Jordan, and, according to sources, the kingdom may respond.

Jordan has not officially commented on the failure to renew the additional water agreement.

The official’s remarks reflect dissatisfaction on the Jordanian side with what it views as a shift in the handling of the water issue.

The report said water had remained separate from political disputes for most of the years since the peace treaty but has now become a bargaining chip from Israel’s perspective.

The report also said Jordan faces a severe water shortage and needs the agreement with Israel.

Jordan has also been working on the issue through diplomatic channels.

In March, the broadcaster reported that Jordan’s King Abdullah II conditioned a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a series of demands related to both the Palestinian issue and the renewal of the agreement providing additional water supplies to the kingdom.

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“Looking ahead, an incursion from the east is an emerging threat that we must prepare for,” Baram said.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s Defense Ministry has launched a new governmentwide initiative to strengthen the country’s eastern border, warning that the frontier has become one of Israel’s most significant security vulnerabilities and requires a comprehensive civilian and military response.

Speaking at the inaugural forum of government ministry directors-general, Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram said the eastern border—Israel’s longest land frontier—had not received sufficient national attention for many years.

“The eastern front, as Israel’s longest land border, is a security weak point,” Baram said. “Because this area was not a national priority for many years, addressing it now requires the full mobilization of government ministries and state authorities—not only to build border defenses, but also transportation, communities, and industry.”

The newly established Eastern Region Directorate will coordinate Defense Ministry efforts with government agencies and local authorities as part of a long-term strategy to reinforce Israel’s eastern frontier.

Officials outlined plans to establish approximately 40 new security communities stretching from Tzemach Junction in the north to the Eilot region near Eilat. The communities will be populated by armed civilian residents and are intended to strengthen Israel’s strategic presence along the border.

Baram said that while Iran and its regional proxies have been significantly weakened during the war, Israel must prepare for future threats from the east.

“Iran and its proxies’ plan to destroy Israel has been weakened throughout the war,” he said. “But looking ahead, an incursion from the east is an emerging threat that we must prepare for.”

The warning comes a day after Israeli media reported that captured Hamas documents showed Yahya Sinwar had expected Hezbollah to launch a major offensive from Lebanon during the October 7, 2023, massacre and had spent years discussing broader multifront invasion scenarios with Hezbollah.

According to the documents, Sinwar viewed Jordan as a key future front, envisioning guerrilla forces infiltrating Israel from both Jordan and Syria in an effort to stretch Israeli defenses across multiple borders.

Baram stressed that military preparations alone would not be sufficient, calling for major investments in transportation, energy, communications, industry, agriculture, health care, education, and housing to attract tens of thousands of new residents to the region.

“We are investing substantial resources in building a multilayered defense system along the border,” he said. “But that will not be enough. A complementary civilian effort is required to strengthen the region, and we cannot accomplish it without the full partnership of Israel’s government ministries.”

The forum brought together senior officials from numerous government ministries, the Israel Electric Corp., the Water Authority, the World Zionist Organization, the Defense Ministry, and the IDF division responsible for the eastern sector as Israel advances a long-term strategy to secure what officials increasingly view as one of the country’s most vulnerable frontiers.

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At the core of the plan lies a time-tested concept from the state’s founding generation—“settlement equals security.”

By Yotam Deshe, JNS

Israel’s eastern border is the longest in the country, stretching approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles). Yet, only about 40,000 residents live along its expanse, and most of it remains without a continuous physical barrier.

For years, the sector was perceived as quiet, but in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on Israel from the west, even as the IDF operates across multiple fronts, a new concept is taking shape in Jerusalem—the next border that could be put to the test is precisely the eastern one, due to its distance from current combat zones and its sparse population.

It is disclosed here for the first time that the government is drafting a comprehensive national plan combining the Ministry of Settlement and National Missions, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Defense to alter the reality in the region. In May 2025, the Security Cabinet approved an initial pilot program valued at approximately 80 million shekels ($26.8 million).

Government ministries are already discussing a far broader plan, on a scale of billions of shekels, which will bring thousands of new families to the area and transform it into a space with a significant civilian presence along the border with Jordan.

Minister for Settlement and National Missions Orit Strook led the move. Months after the Gaza war erupted, Strook began promoting a plan to reinforce the eastern axis before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defense establishment, and the National Security Council. After extensive staff work, Netanyahu tasked her with formulating it.

“Everyone is looking at Gaza, Lebanon and Iran,” she said, “but the eastern border is Israel’s longest. It is relatively quiet, and therefore it is easy to ignore. Precisely because of this, it compels us to think ahead.”

Officials consider the pilot a success. Currently, it is in the stage of expanding into a wider, more heavily budgeted plan that the government is expected to vote on soon, with some figures pushing for the vote to take place as early as the upcoming Cabinet meeting.

At the core of the plan lies a time-tested concept from the state’s founding generation—“settlement equals security.”

According to Strook, the central conclusion from the events of Oct. 7 is that it is impossible to rely solely on fences, sensors and military forces. “We cannot wait until the threat materializes. We learned that we must build layers of defense in advance—not just the military, but also settlement, agriculture, communities and young people living on the ground.”

The concept is also gaining support from civilian and security figures. Uri Sapir, the deputy CEO of the HaShomer HaChadash (The New Shomer) volunteer security organization, explained that the war accelerated the need for action in this area. According to him, the Iranians are constantly seeking ways to operate against Israel: “They are developing new proxies. If they decide to act from the east, it will be through this border.”

Beyond the Iranian threat, Sapir pointed to a structural problem: “Ultimately, the IDF cannot place a soldier every two meters. The solution is a strong population that sits on the border, lives there, works there and constitutes part of the defense array.”

Avner Goldschmidt, a project manager for the Settlement Division within the Settlement Administration, a Defense Ministry body responsible for coordinating civilian affairs related to Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, detailed the three pillars of the current pilot:

Strengthening existing communities: Establishing young neighborhoods and absorption centers that will allow new families to join local standby squads (armed civilian security teams).

National mission hubs: Establishing nearly 30 hubs along the border, including pre-military academies, Nahal (IDF pioneer youth) outposts, student villages and service-year organizations.

⁠Security farms: Establishing agricultural-security farms, some near military outposts that were abandoned over the years.
The project is generating surprising connections and receiving support even from figures who are not identified with the right-wing camp. The head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Idan Greenbaum (the Jordan River is part of Israel’s border with Jordan), did not hide the ideological gaps between himself and Strook: “We did not grow up in the same seminary, and we likely disagree on a variety of issues. Yet, we meet here on one thing—the love of the people and the land, and the desire to develop the State of Israel.”

Greenbaum credited Strook for identifying the problem and pushing the state to act, adding that Oct. 7 proved that one cannot assume a quiet border will remain so forever. Beyond the security necessity, he flagged the move as a massive opportunity for development: “If you give people affordable housing, education, health and infrastructure—they will come.”

Originally published by Israel Hayom

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US denies report it is working with Israel to end Jordan’s role as custodian of the Temple Mount and to turn the holy site into a “multi-faith center.”

By World Israel News Staff

The Trump administration and Israel are working on a plan to replace Jordan’s custodianship over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem with a new arrangement that would expand Jewish prayer rights at the site, according to a report published on Monday.

The Middle East Eye, citing unnamed US, Jordanian, Palestinian, Western and Gulf Arab sources, reported that the proposal would end the authority of the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf and create a new body tied to Israel to administer the compound.

After publication, the outlet said a US official called the allegation that Washington was actively working to strip Jordan of its custodianship “totally false.”

The report said the plan was being promoted by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

According to the report, the proposed arrangement would recast the compound as a “multi-faith center,” allow large-group Jewish prayer and give Israel a role in appointing Muslim religious officials and approving Friday sermon content.

No such proposal has been publicly announced by the White House, Israel or Jordan.

A Jordanian government official told Middle East Eye that Amman’s position on Jerusalem and its holy sites “remains firm,” and said Jordan was coordinating with Palestinian, Arab and international partners to prevent changes to the historical and legal status quo.

The official said Jordan’s custodianship is recognized under treaties and agreements, including the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty.

Article 9 of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty says Israel respects Jordan’s “special role” in Muslim holy shrines in Jerusalem and will give high priority to Jordan’s historic role in permanent-status negotiations.

Under the longstanding status quo, the Jordanian Waqf administers the Temple Mount’s internal religious affairs, while Israel controls access and external security.

After National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the compound in August 2025 and said he had prayed there, Netanyahu’s office said Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo “has not changed and will not change.”

The issue has remained a recurring source of friction between Israel and Jordan. Jordan’s King Abdullah warned in a 2024 call with then-President Joe Biden against “unilateral Israeli measures” that he said threatened the historical and legal status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, according to the Jordanian royal court.

Middle East Eye reported that Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates had been briefed on the alleged US proposal, while Saudi Arabia opposed it.

The outlet said the fate of Jerusalem’s Christian holy sites was unclear under the reported plan. Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy also claims custodial responsibilities over major Christian sites in Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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Drones are used to smuggle guns from Jordan into Judea and Samaria, Israeli security agency warns.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli security forces uncovered a major weapons smuggling network that used drones to move arms across the eastern border from Jordan to Judea and Samaria, Israeli authorities said Monday.

In a joint statement, the Shin Bet, IDF, and Israel Police said the investigation began several months ago after intelligence from the Shin Bet led IDF forces to identify a drone crossing from Jordan into Israeli territory in the areas of the 96th and 80th divisions.

The drone was intercepted while carrying several handguns, the agencies said.

Over the past several months, four Israeli citizens from the Negev and another suspect from Judea and Samaria were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the smuggling network. Two of the suspects were arrested during an attempted smuggling operation while carrying 10 Glock 17 pistols and 10 matching magazines.

The suspects were named as Wahel al-Tzara’ah, Madian al-Tzara’ah, Zeid Abu Gwayed, and Ali al-Tzara’ah, all residents of the Negev, and Nassar Nagada, a resident of Yatta in southern Judea.

According to the statement, the Shin Bet and the Southern District police unit investigating nationalist crime found that members of the network were involved in several drone-based smuggling operations from the Jordanian border.

The agencies said the group smuggled about 44 handguns into Israel and about 120 kilograms of hashish into Jordan.

Investigators also found that some of the smuggled weapons, including M-16 rifles and ammunition, were sold to a Palestinian Arab and distributed through him in the territory.

Following the Shin Bet and police investigation, the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office filed a serious indictment against the suspects at the Beersheba District Court.

“This is a significant thwarting of an infrastructure whose activity harmed state security,” the agencies said.

“The findings of the investigation point to the close and dangerous connection between weapons smuggling at the borders and terrorist activity that could harm the citizens of the State of Israel,” they added.

The Shin Bet, IDF and Israel Police said they “view with severity any involvement or assistance by Israeli citizens in terrorist activity and weapons smuggling” and would continue working to stop such activity and prosecute those involved.

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Jordan abruptly changes airline policy days before the beginning of the Passover festival, leaving hundreds of Israeli travelers stranded.

By World Israel News Staff

Hundreds of Israeli travelers are stranded in Jordan after the Hashemite Kingdom abruptly changed air travel policies, which led to the cancellation of dozens of flights.

On Sunday, the Israeli airline Arkia announced that it was forced to cancel a number of flights operating out of King Hussein International Airport in the southern port city of Aqaba, following policy changes by Jordanian air authorities.

The cancellations come just days before the start of the Passover festival, as thousands of Israelis seek alternative routes to travel abroad amid tight wartime air travel restrictions inside Israel.

Since the beginning of the war on February 28, Israelis seeking to travel abroad have relied on airports in Taba, Egypt, and Aqaba, Jordan, both of which are located close to the southern Israeli city of Eilat.

However, a dramatic increase in border crossing fees at Taba, which doubled over the weekend from $60 per person to $120, has discouraged many travelers, while incentivizing travel through Aqaba.

But policy changes in Jordan have led local air authorities to refuse approval for dozens of chartered flights booked by Arkia with European aircraft.

The disruption hit routes from Aqaba to several destinations in Europe as well as Thailand.

According to the airline, some passengers were left stuck at the airport after flights that had been expected to operate were halted at short notice.

One stranded traveler told Israeli media there were no Arkia or Israeli representatives on site, and that passengers, including children, were waiting in distress without clear assistance.

Arkia said some Aqaba departures may now be rerouted through Taba, subject to operational feasibility and regulatory approval. The airline also said it is working with relevant authorities to restore service as quickly as possible and promised passengers regular updates.

At the same time, the airline has revised broader parts of its schedule. Long-haul flights to destinations including New York and Hanoi are now set to depart from Ben Gurion Airport rather than Aqaba, reversing an earlier plan announced this week. Shorter-haul routes to some European destinations are still expected to rely in part on neighboring airports.

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Islamist lawmakers say the Jewish state should not be named due to its “enemy” status.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Jordan’s parliament voted Monday to delete the name “Israel” from the official record of a debate after Islamist lawmakers argued that the country should not be referred to by name because it is an “enemy state.”

Islamist MP Hayel Ayash introduced the proposal, saying Israel “represents an enemy to every Jordanian.”

MP Abdul Nasser Khasawneh went further, calling for the permanent removal of the term “Israel” from official language and proposing it be replaced with “the usurping entity,” according to Jordanian outlet Roya News.

Such terminology, he argued, would better reflect Jordan’s position on Palestinian rights to their land.

According to Kan News Arab affairs correspondent Roi Kais, the move was backed by Saleh al-Armouti, head of the Islamic Action Front parliamentary bloc — the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan’s parliament — who described the decision as “bestowing an honor upon the parliament.”

Last month, the Trump administration designated the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity.

The debate was sparked by remarks attributed to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee regarding Israeli control of disputed territories. Parliament Speaker Mazen al-Qadi condemned the comments as endorsing Israeli control over what he called “Arab lands.”

The “West Bank and Gaza,” he said, are “Palestinian territories,” and labeled Huckabee’s statements a violation of international law and the UN Charter, as well as “a blatant provocation and a serious breach of state sovereignty.”

In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Huckabee said “it would be fine” if Israel “took” all the territory God bequeathed to the Jewish people in the Bible, which encompasses large portions of neighboring states.

The remark angered many Arab governments, including Jordan.

The State Department has since clarified that Huckabee’s statements reflected only his personal views and did not represent a change in official American policy.

Israel was also recently condemned by many Arab and European governments for a Security Cabinet decision last week to allow private Israelis to directly register purchases of state-owned land in Area C of Judea and Samaria, which is under full Israeli civil and security control.

Previously, such purchases had to be made indirectly through companies due to legal frameworks that remained in place after Israel liberated the territory in 1967 Six-Day War, making it much harder to build Jewish settlements in the area.

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During his Middle Eastern tour, Tucker Carlson slammed U.S. funding for Israel, citing claims that Jewish extremists spat on Christians.

OMG Tucker Carlson just exposed that the US government is funding a regime that allows Jewish extremists to spit on Christian clergy and you won’t see this in TV pic.twitter.com/efGzTZ9A7v

— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) February 5, 2026

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