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AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti met on Wednesday with Syrian Defence Minister Merhaf Abu Qasra in Damascus for high-level talks on military cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting focused on boosting bilateral relations and enhancing coordination on security and defence, particularly in light of evolving regional challenges.

Huneiti underscored the importance of sustained cooperation and joint efforts to address border security and maintain regional stability.

Abu Qasra affirmed Syria’s commitment to deepening military cooperation with Jordan, highlighting the long-standing historical ties between the two nations. 

He also commended the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah and his ongoing efforts to promote peace and security across the region.

The meeting was attended by senior officers from the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and their Syrian counterparts.

Also on Wednesday, Huneiti received Commander of the German Joint Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, and his accompanying delegation.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral military relations and enhancing cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, according to another JAF statement.

The two sides discussed avenues for expanding joint training and capacity-building efforts, as well as addressing shared security challenges at both regional and international levels.

Huneiti reiterated the depth of the strategic partnership between the JAF and the German military, highlighting the importance of exploring new opportunities for cooperation across various military domains.

Sollfrank applauded the development and modernisation efforts of the JAF, expressing Germany’s commitment to deepening military cooperation in ways that contribute to regional and global security and stability.

The meeting was attended by senior officers from the JAF and the German Defence Attaché.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi on Wednesday chaired the ninth meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with coordinating international efforts to confront Israel’s illegal actions in occupied Jerusalem.

The meeting was held in Cairo on the sidelines of the 163rd regular session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

The committee comprises representatives from Bahrain, the current chair of the Arab Summit, Palestine, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League.

According to a statement issued following the meeting, the committee reviewed ongoing efforts to confront Israeli violations in occupied Jerusalem, particularly in and around Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif and the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

The session was convened under Decision No. 8660 of the Arab League Council, issued on May 11, 2021, during an extraordinary session addressing the situation in occupied Jerusalem.

The committee discussed mechanisms to confront Israel’s serious and systematic violations in the city and to develop a unified Arab strategy aimed at stopping these policies.

Safadi presented updates on Israeli actions since the committee’s previous meeting in September 2024, highlighting coordinated diplomatic efforts by member states to engage influential international actors and pressure Israel to end its violations.

The Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs briefed the committee on the humanitarian and political situation in the city, calling for intensified Arab and international efforts to end the occupation. 

He cited ongoing home demolitions, attempts to erase cultural and historical identity, arbitrary arrests, including of children, and other violations of human rights.

Committee members also strongly condemned Israel’s continued breaches of international law, stressing that such actions fuel tensions and undermine the legal and historical identity of the city.

The ministers also reiterated their commitment to reinforcing Arab coordination to counter Israeli policies aimed at altering the legal status quo of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

They denounced the repeated incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers and extremist officials, warning that such provocations threaten the sanctity of the site. 

They also condemned settler incursions carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces and restrictions imposed on Muslim worshippers, particularly during Ramadan.

Reaffirming that East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine, the ministers rejected any unilateral measures intended to alter Palestinian sovereignty over the city.

They stressed the need for a comprehensive peace based on international law, UN resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. The meeting also underscored the importance of the historical Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites in preserving the city’s religious identity and protecting its sanctities.

In their concluding remarks, the ministers condemned Israeli policies targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), particularly decisions to shut down its centres in occupied Jerusalem, a move that directly impacts thousands of Palestinian refugees reliant on the agency’s services.

The committee also reaffirmed the urgent need to support all efforts aimed at protecting Jerusalem and its people from Israel’s continued violations.

AMMAN — HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal on Wednesday held separate meetings with a delegation from the French Senate’s Communication, Thinking, Monitoring and Solidarity Group with the Christians of the East and with a US Congressional aides delegation.

During the meeting with the French delegation, Prince El Hassan stressed the importance of fostering dialogue across the region, advocating for respect toward the diverse identities of minority communities and recognising their vital role in shaping a shared and inclusive regional future, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He underscored the necessity of human solidarity among Eastern communities as a foundation for preserving dignity and countering the forces of polarisation and hatred.

The Prince also reviewed the efforts of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies in promoting dialogue among followers of different religions, underlining its contributions to building bridges of understanding and coexistence.

During the discussion with the US delegation, Prince El Hassan emphasised the importance of cultivating a “will to stay” among the peoples of the region by expanding economic, developmental and humanitarian opportunities that empower communities to remain in their homelands.

He warned against the deepening threat of sectarianism and called for the strategic use of the Great Rift Valley as a platform for regional cooperation, development and the advancement of human dignity.

Highlighting the need for pragmatic, evidence-based strategies, Prince El Hassan also called for a comprehensive approach to development that places human dignity at the core of all policies and initiatives.

Also on Wednesday, Senate President Faisal Fayez met with the US Congressional aides delegation to discuss Jordanian-US ties and regional developments.

Fayez reiterated the strength of Jordan-US relations and highlighted Jordan's comprehensive reform programme across political, economic and administrative spheres. He also outlined the Kingdom’s economic and security challenges amid ongoing regional instability.

Fayez also expressed appreciation for US assistance in helping Jordan address these challenges, but urged the US administration to reconsider recently imposed tariffs on Jordanian exports.

 He also called for the reversal of a decision to halt funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), particularly in critical sectors such as health, education, and the empowerment of women and youth, to support Jordan’s development efforts and promote regional peace and stability.

• Farraya: Membership of Muslim Brotherhood group is illegal.
• Interior minister: Illegal to promote ideology of Muslim Brotherhood.
• Interior minister says any offices or headquarters used by disbanded group around Jordan will be closed down.
• Farraya: Publishing anything by Muslim Brotherhood is prohibited.
• Interior minister says disbanded group attempted to destroy documents to conceal suspicious activities.
• Farraya: Security forces also uncovered operation to manufacture, test explosives by son of one Muslim Brotherhood leader.

AMMAN — Interior Minister Mazen Farraya on Wednesday announced that the disbanded group known as the Muslim Brotherhood will be considered an illegal society effective immediately, in accordance with the law.

In a statement to the media, the minister said all activities of any kind by this group will be banned and considered illegal and subject to legal accountability.

Farraya noted that the work of the committee overseeing the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood and the confiscation of its moveable and immoveable assets will be expedited, in accordance with the relevant court rulings.

The minister said membership of this disbanded group is illegal, adding that it is also illegal to promote its ideology and attempts to do so will be subject to legal action.

Moreover, the minister announced that any offices or headquarters used by the group around Jordan will be closed down, even if such venues are set up under the guise of other entities, adding that any action otherwise would be subject to legal accountability.

Farraya stressed that political entities, media outlets, users on various social media platforms, civil society organisations, and other entities are prohibited from dealing with or publishing anything by the Muslim Brotherhood or all its arms and affiliates, subject to legal accountability.

The minister said the necessary measures will be taken against any individual or entity proven to be involved in criminal acts connected to the cases currently in court or to the disbanded group, in light of the court’s findings.

The minister said the disbanded group known as the Muslim Brotherhood—on the same night that authorities revealed the plot targeting national security last week—attempted to smuggle and destroy large quantities of documents from its headquarters to hide its suspicious activities and affiliations.

The interior minister also revealed that following the announcement of foiling the plot targeting the national security of Jordan, security agencies uncovered an operation to manufacture and test explosives carried out by the son of one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s leaders, along with others who sought to target security agencies and sensitive sites in the Kingdom.

Farraya said today’s decisions were taken, out of the state’s responsibility to ensure the safety of society and prevent actions that disturb security and public order and distort best political practices, as well as to safeguard Jordan’s security and stability.

The minister said the Jordanian state, throughout its history, has always protected the freedom to form political parties and associations, in addition to freedom of expression and political activities, in accordance with the law.

He added that in spite of this, it has been proven that elements of the Muslim Brotherhood group—which was disbanded in accordance with final court rulings—have been working in secret and undertaking activities that threatened to undermine stability, security, and national unity, while disturbing public order.

The minister said no state can accept the actions revealed, involving the moving of explosives and weapons through Jordanian cities, and storing them within residential neighborhoods, as well as the manufacturing and concealing of rockets in the capital’s suburbs, and training and recruiting operatives inside and outside the country.

Farraya said the continued activities of the Muslim Brotherhood pose a threat to society and endanger citizens’ lives, at a time the state seeks to safeguard security and stability while moving forward with development, amid various regional and global challenges.

The interior minister stressed the government’s commitment to guaranteeing freedom of expression and political activity in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations, while ensuring that no activity jeopardizes Jordan’s security and stability.

“We are at a time when concerted efforts are greatly needed to fulfill the aspirations of the Jordanian people,” Farraya added.

At the onset of his statement, the minister affirmed that Islamic Sharia is rooted in tolerance, adding that moderation is the core principle of believers in Islam, while extremism and fanaticism will only lead to chaos, violence, and the sowing of division within society.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday held a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the prime minister of Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, held in Jeddah and attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His Majesty expressed his pride in the deep-rooted ties between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as readiness to continue maintaining coordination in areas of mutual interest, according to a Royal Court statement.

The King commended Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in defending Arab and Muslim causes, the statement said. 

The meeting also touched on regional developments, in particular the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, and a number of senior Saudi officials attended the meeting.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah II on Wednesday departed on a working visit to Saudi Arabia.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah is accompanying His Majesty, according to a Royal Court statement. 

HRH Prince Feisal was sworn in as Regent, in the presence of Cabinet members, the statement said.

AMMAN —His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received a delegation from the French Senate, including representatives of the French-Jordanian Friendship Group, and the Liaison Group for Reflection and Solidarity with Christians, Minorities, and Kurds in the Middle East.
 
During the meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace and attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His Majesty stressed the importance of strengthening the partnership between Jordan and France, according to a Royal Court statement.
 
The King thanked France for supporting water and development projects in Jordan, noting the country’s important role in promoting dialogue and peace efforts in the region on the bases of the two-state solution.
 
The meeting also covered efforts to end the war on Gaza, resume the flow of aid, mobilise support for the Arab plan to reconstruct Gaza without displacing its residents, and halt escalations in the West Bank and violations of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, the statement said.
 
During the meeting, attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, the King reiterated Jordan’s support for Syria and Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty.
 
Also discussed during the meeting was the need to protect the rights of minorities in the region, with an emphasis on the importance of Jordan’s efforts to protect the Christian presence in the Middle East.
 
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, and France’s Ambassador to Jordan Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison attended the meeting.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Muna, president of the Jordanian Nursing Council (JNC) and patron for nursing and midwifery in the eastern Mediterranean region, on Tuesday attended the candle-lighting ceremony for the 25th graduating class of the Princess Muna College of Nursing.

The annual event, held at the college, marks the transition of students from academic life to the professional world. The symbolic act of lighting candles reflects the core mission of the nursing profession, to light the way of healing for those in need.

The ceremony opened with verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a poetry reading and a short film highlighting the importance of nursing and Princess Muna's ongoing commitment to the field, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

In her remarks, Dean of the College Brig. Gen. Khuloud Matar praised the graduates for their “perseverance” over the past four years.

Princess Muna personally lit the candles for the graduates, who pledged to carry out their duties with professionalism, empathy and respect for patient confidentiality.

This year's class adopted the Black Iris, Jordan's national flower, as their emblem, symbolising selfless service, generosity and giving without expectation.

In recognition of Princess Muna's ongoing support for the nursing profession, the dean presented her with the Black Iris plaque.