A new report to Congress reveals that the Biden administration has deployed a record number of U.S. troops to Jordan as Israel continues its ground and aerial offensives against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
According to the White House’s war powers report to Congress released on June 7, there are now 3,813 American troops in Jordan, marking a 625-troop increase since December. This is the highest number of U.S. soldiers and airmen in Jordan since the second Persian Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Despite the increase, the Biden administration has sought to keep its close military ties with Jordan quiet. The National Security Council (NSC) has instructed State Department communications officials to avoid mentioning military coordination with Jordan.
The report comes amid escalating attacks by resistance groups against U.S. bases and interests in the region. On February 4, three U.S. soldiers were killed and about 40 others injured in an attack by Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups on a secret U.S. military base near the Jordan-Syria border.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, has launched over 170 attacks on U.S. military assets in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The Biden administration has downplayed these assaults, insisting the Gaza war has not spread to the rest of the region.
U.S. forces in Jordan use the host nation as a base for military operations throughout the region. Muwaffaq Salti Air Base hosts F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, forward deployed since October 7. U.S. special operations forces also stage operations from Jordan in their campaign against the Daesh terrorist group.
Jordan has also served as the hub for U.S. logistical support to Israel and as a base for special forces and CIA personnel involved in the Gaza conflict. Last month, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted one of the largest joint military exercises in the region, dubbed “Eager Lion,” in Jordan. Despite its significance, the Pentagon barely mentioned it.
Protests have rocked Jordan in recent months, with demonstrators rallying outside the U.S. and Israeli embassies, demanding an end to relations with Israel and the United States. Analysts say the Jordanian monarchy has pressed Washington and Tel Aviv for a ceasefire and increased aid to Gaza, but these efforts have had little impact.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 amid U.S. efforts to work out a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict, an initiative that has failed to bear fruit after nearly three decades.
