Reasons for the Jordanian Foreign Minister's Visit to Iran

Nasser Judeh, the Jordanian Foreign Minister, made an unexpected trip to Tehran on Friday night. During this visit, he met with Iranian officials including President Hassan Rouhani and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The relationship between Iran and Jordan has experienced fluctuations and tensions in recent years, particularly with the onset of developments in the Middle East and North Africa, and subsequently the Syrian crisis. Radio Farda spoke with Ali Mohtadi, a senior researcher at the Middle East Strategic Studies Institute in France, about the motivations behind this visit. Ali Mohtadi stated that part of the significance of this visit stems from Jordan's transformation into a leader of Arab forces allied with the US against ISIS following the execution of its pilot, Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was held hostage by ISIS. Consequently, Jordan's role in this fight has automatically become more prominent, necessitating coordination with other influential countries in the region regarding Iraq and Syria. The second aspect relates to the Iran-1+5 negotiations, particularly the talks between Iran and the US, which have reached critical points, with the possibility of a preliminary agreement being announced in the coming days. In this context, most Arab countries are trying to clearly define their positions regarding these negotiations and establish a program to reap future benefits. The relationship between Iran and Jordan has always been accompanied by tensions and fluctuations, especially concerning developments in the Middle East and Syria. When asked if these differences would persist or improve in the future, Mohtadi expressed skepticism about any near-term improvement, suggesting that the current negotiations and unexpected visits are more temporary measures aimed at advancing specific programs requiring coordination between the two countries. It is well-known in the region that Jordan maintains close ties with Israel, and many Arab countries use Jordan as an intermediary in their relations with Israel. This fact is not hidden from Iranian officials and has been a constant source of tension between Iran and Jordan. However, some Arab analysts believe that the Iran-US negotiations may reduce Israel's future role in the region, leading to the formation of two opposing fronts among Arab countries. The first front, led by Saudi Arabia, believes Iran should remain isolated, while the second front, which includes Jordan, believes negotiations with Iran are possible and beneficial. Nonetheless, Mohtadi believes that these differences will remain, with only occasional coordination between the two countries. Potential cooperation between Iran and Jordan in the fight against ISIS would require military coordination. When asked if this coordination might lead to alignment with the US in the region against ISIS and coalition forces, Mohtadi affirmed that this is indeed the case, noting that both Arab and Western media have reported that the fight against ISIS effectively aids Iran's emergence from isolation due to a shared goal between Iran and the West to defeat ISIS. This situation could even lead to unexpected military coordination between the two countries for this specific objective.