Amid escalating regional tensions and the exchange of missile strikes between Iran and Israel, Jordan has emerged as a country facing complex geopolitical challenges and managing its security and sovereignty with great efficiency, despite its proximity to conflict zones and front lines. Jordan has adopted a balanced stance that combines responsible neutrality with a resolute defense of its national security. It has played a pivotal role in protecting the sovereignty of its territory and airspace from any external military escalation. This has impressed many international observers and irritated some skeptics and ill-intentioned individuals who do not hesitate to spread false insinuations and misleading interpretations about Jordan's role and policies.

Jordan has never been a party to regional conflicts, but has consistently chosen to stand on the side of international law, regional stability, and peace. However, its neutrality has not been synonymous with weakness or laxity in defending its sovereignty. In the face of recent Iranian-Israeli tensions, where missiles and drones penetrated the regional airspace of neighboring countries, Jordan demonstrated its high security and military capabilities in imposing complete control over its airspace and preventing its territory from becoming a corridor or platform for any party to the conflict.

This is due to the wise leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who, with great political and diplomatic acumen, led efforts to protect Jordan from the repercussions of surrounding conflicts. He directed the security and military apparatuses to exercise the highest levels of readiness and vigilance, and through his international efforts, sought to strengthen Jordan's regional and international position, emphasising that protecting national sovereignty is a red line and that Jordan will not be an arena for settling scores or a conduit for breaching the security of neighboring countries.

The airstrikes exchanged between Tehran and Tel Aviv represented a true test of the capabilities of neighbouring countries in terms of securing their borders and airspace from violations or unintended involvement in the conflict. Jordan, despite its complex economic and political circumstances, has proven itself a fully sovereign state. It has not allowed its airspace to be used as a launching pad for missiles, nor has its territory been transformed into an arena for settling scores or exchanging military messages. Rather, its armed forces—the Arab Army—and its security services responded with high professionalism and constant vigilance and were able to detect and confront any potential breach or threat to its security.

Air defense and surveillance systems were immediately activated, preventing any direct damage to its territory. Although some flying objects crossed over neighboring areas, Jordan responded to any transgression or intrusion that might threaten the safety of its citizens or the sovereignty of its national territory, affirming that its security is not subject to compromise or negligence.

Jordan's official positions have been clear and direct. The leadership has affirmed that Jordan's security is above all considerations, and that there is no room for compromise or negligence regarding national sovereignty. King Abdullah has emphasized on several occasions that Jordan will not allow itself to be an arena for any conflict, and that protecting its security and interests is a red line.

The government has also worked to coordinate positions with regional and international allies, while maintaining a policy of distancing itself from any military alliances that go beyond the bounds of legitimate deterrence. This policy demonstrates rare strategic wisdom and political realism in a region saturated with conflicts and temporary alliances.

Despite these remarkable efforts, some skeptical voices have emerged, seeking to downplay Jordan's actions and even indirectly hinting that it may have permitted the use of its airspace for military purposes—a false claim devoid of any objective evidence.

These voices, whose rhetoric is predominantly propaganda-driven or driven by hostile agendas, turn a blind eye to the military and political facts that confirm that Jordan exercises full sovereignty and that its political decisions are independent and subject only to its supreme national interests, not to external whims or pressures.

Attempts to cast doubt on the Jordanian position are part of malicious media campaigns driven by dubious agendas. They aim to undermine trust between the state and its citizens and disrupt the Kingdom's firm positions in protecting its national security.

These campaigns exploit the ambiguity and complexity of the regional situation to promote false and fabricated narratives, attempting to portray Jordan as a party to conflicts in which it has no stake. However, Jordanian popular awareness, which has always been the true support of the state, distinguishes clearly between constructive criticism and deliberate misinformation.

With their political awareness and historical experience, Jordanians realize that their state, despite all the challenges and pressures, will not compromise its dignity and will not allow its territory to be violated or its sovereignty to be infringed upon in any way.

Through its balanced and firm stance, Jordan has proven itself to be a responsible state that neither takes risks nor is complacent, nor is satisfied with mere rhetoric. Rather, it manages its security according to precise plans and advanced preparations. This explains why Jordan has not fallen into the trap of being dragged into a quagmire of violence, as has happened with some other countries. Jordanian diplomacy complements its security preparations, setting a model to be emulated in regional crisis management.

In short, Jordan exercised its legitimate right to protect its sovereignty during the exchange of missile strikes between Iran and Israel and succeeded in sparing its territory and airspace the repercussions of this conflict. Despite attempts to distort and cast doubt, the truth remains clear: this small Arab country, yet large in its stances, maintains its security with an independent will and safeguards its national dignity without compromise, at a time when interests are competing and sovereignty is being violated. Jordan, as it has always been, remains a safety valve for the region and a symbol of steadfastness during a cyclone.

Hasan Dajah is professor of strategic studies at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University