Reuters Reports Foiled Sabotage Plot Led by Islamic Republic in Jordan

According to two informed Jordanian sources, security officials have thwarted a suspicious plot led by the Islamic Republic to smuggle weapons into the country to assist opponents of the Jordanian monarchy in carrying out sabotage actions. Reuters reports that these weapons were smuggled through Iranian-backed proxy forces in Syria to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan that is linked to Hamas's military wing. However, the cache of these weapons was seized when a sabotage cell of Palestinian-Jordanian individuals was arrested in early Farvardin (March). The two Jordanian sources, who requested anonymity for security reasons, did not specify what weapons were discovered and seized during the March raid, although it has been reported that in recent months, security services have thwarted multiple attempts by the Islamic Republic and its allied groups to smuggle weapons, including mines, explosives, Kalashnikovs, and 107mm Katyusha rockets. The plot and arrests, first reported by these two informed sources, occurred during a time of intense tensions in the Middle East, with Israel at war in Gaza with Hamas and as part of the Iranian 'Resistance Axis.' They stated that the aim of this plot was to destabilize Jordan as a country that could become a regional turning point in the Gaza crisis. Jordan also hosts a U.S. military base and shares borders with Israel, Syria, and Iraq, both of which are home to Iran-backed militias. According to Jordanian sources, most of the clandestine flow of weapons into the country has been directed towards the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank. However, some of the weapons, including those seized in March, were intended for use in Jordan by the Muslim Brotherhood group affiliated with Hamas militants. An informed security source said, 'They hide these weapons in pits called dead spots, take their GPS coordinates, photograph the locations, and then instruct their people to retrieve them from there.' While older members of the Muslim Brotherhood have legally operated in the Kingdom of Jordan for several decades, Jordanian officials believe that the Islamic Republic and its allied groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, are attempting to attract younger and more radical members of the Muslim Brotherhood towards their anti-Israeli and anti-American positions. A senior Brotherhood member, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that the arrested sabotage cell members were recruited by Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas, who was killed in an Israeli army raid in Beirut. Jordanian officials have not publicly commented on the alleged arms plot and arrests. However, one of the two informed sources said that intelligence officials had summoned several senior Brotherhood figures to inform them that the sabotage cell, which acted as a bridge between their movement and Hamas, had been arrested. Over the past year, Jordan has stated that it has thwarted many efforts by infiltrators linked to Iranian-backed militants in Syria, who have crossed the borders with rocket launchers and explosives, but some weapons have crossed undetected. The Islamic Republic has denied the existence of military equipment smuggling operations. Jordan has accepted millions of Palestinian refugees who fled their homeland during the tumultuous years following the establishment of Israel, who are now dissatisfied with the positions of the Jordanian monarchy. Last month, after Jordan joined U.S.-led efforts to help Israel intercept drones and missiles fired by the Islamic Republic, critics circulated fabricated images on social media of the king wrapped in the Israeli flag with phrases like 'traitor,' 'Western,' and 'puppet.' Bassam Badari, a Jordanian journalist, said, 'After the interception of the drones, the rift between the government's position and public sentiment has never been more apparent.' He stated, 'There was dissatisfaction. Jordan had skillfully stood equidistant from all regional countries, but Jordan aligned itself with the American axis through its intervention.' Two Jordanian politicians, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said that concerning King Abdullah II's concerns, any tension with the Muslim Brotherhood could also pose risks, as this group enjoys widespread popular support in the country. Jordanian officials have not publicly discussed the alleged arms plot attributed to the radical wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and the arrests. The 'Ready Lion' military exercise with the participation of military forces from 33 countries has begun in Jordan. Continued U.S. and Jordanian participation in humanitarian aid to Gaza residents; ready meals for civilians. Reports of an Israeli missile attack on the outskirts of Damascus; the 'command center' of the Iranian-backed group was targeted.