Last July, King Abdullah II of Jordan protested attacks on Jordan’s border with Syria by “militias linked to Iran,” and deadly clashes with drug smugglers. The king told the newspaper al-Rai that Jordan faces “regular attacks on its borders by militias linked to Iran.”
“Jordan, like the rest of the Arab countries, seeks good relations with Iran, with mutual respect, good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty of other states, and non-interference in their affairs,” Abdullah II said.
Now, MEMRI TV released an interview, translated into Hebrew, of former Jordanian ambassador to Iran Bassam al-Amush that was broadcast by Al Arabiya on October 21, 2022. We offer our English translation below the video.
Ambassador Al-Amush: “No Arab country is meddling in Iran’s internal affairs, so why is Iran meddling (with us)? At one time, the Iranian ambassador was summoned when he established an armed organization in Jordan. One of the Iranian ambassadors established ties, recruited, and tried to create some kind of militia. They were captured. He was summoned, and Iran was informed that this ambassador was persona non grata.
“Relations between Jordan and Iran are characterized by concern on Jordan’s part. Jordan wants to distance itself from Iran’s negative influence. Now we’ve reached the phase of clashes in Syrian territory, and then…”
Interviewer: “Do you think there’s an Iranian-Jordanian war, or at least a new front being open on Syria’s border?”
Ambassador Al-Amush: “The whole issue was about drugs and fenethylline, but who do you think produces them? Enormous quantities have been caught, even in Germany. Three-quarters of the amount that was captured – ”
Interviewer: “You mean from the Iranian militias?”
Ambassador Al-Amush: “They are tagged, made in Iran. Iran doesn’t hide it. In south Lebanon, Afghanistan, and the Iranian militias they grow…”
Interviewer: “They want to drown the Jordanian population in drugs?”
Ambassador Al-Amush: “Yes, they’re doing it. I won’t be exaggerating if I said there’s a daily war on the northern border. The war goes on every day.”
Interviewer: “Since the war in Syria broke out in 2011 to this day?”
Ambassador Al-Amush: “Yes, and I heard from reliable sources in the meeting I told you about, that there was also an artillery barrage, not only machine-gun fire on a smuggler. No, there were [clashes] with Iranian military forces and not only with militias.”
Interviewer: “The target was Jordan, and not because Jordan…”
Ambassador Al-Amush: “Their purpose was to infiltrate Jordanian territory. They want to enter here (Jordan) and establish sleeper cells they would activate the minute… Who would have thought that Iran would play a role in Yemen? Suddenly, we were surprised to see Iranian ships arriving and supplying equipment to the Houthis. Iran has natural resources, the sea, oil, rugs. If Iran wants to serve its people, and the Iranian people are good people… Good people who deserve better than what’s going on today. I understand how poverty can take place in Jordan or Lebanon, but I can’t understand poverty in Iran. It’s incomprehensible.
“They claim that their government officials don’t steal, unlike in other countries. If you don’t steal, and there are natural treasures in the country, this should have influenced the [state of] the population. Even though you, in the name of the faith, take 20% of people’s income as a “fifth” tax – and you use it for Sanaa, Beirut, Damascus, and Baghdad. The Iranians deserve to benefit from their own money. If you want to send aid as part of forging good relations, that’s not a bad thing, but doing it this way – I think it constitutes violence against the Iranian people.”
