Iran on Wednesday morning launched missiles toward the Jordanian city of Aqaba near the Israeli border, prompting an Arkia flight en route from Tel Aviv to Eilat to alter its course mid-flight.

Another flight from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv was also delayed in the air. Residents of Eilat reported hearing explosions and filmed footage of smoke over the mountains between Eilat and Aqaba.

U.S. air defense systems intercepted the missiles. The IDF said no interceptors were launched from Israel and later updated that no shrapnel fell inside Israel.

Jordan officials said that Iran fired six missiles at their territory, four of which were intercepted and two that fell in open areas. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Meanwhile, dozens of Jordanian political, academic, cultural, tribal, and public figures issued a statement calling on the Jordanian government to end the presence of foreign forces—particularly American troops—on Jordanian soil, arguing that their presence exposes the country to growing security, political, and economic risks amid the escalating regional conflict.

The signatories also demanded that the government disclose the full terms of its military and security agreement with the United States, including all annexes, arguing that Jordanians and their constitutional institutions have the right to know about commitments that could affect the country’s sovereignty and national security.

The statement stressed that Jordan “is not a party to the war” and that its people “should not bear the consequences or pay the price for policies that do not serve the country’s supreme national interests.”

The signatories said the appeal comes at a time when Jordanians are already facing significant economic challenges and warned that the ongoing conflict is further harming the country’s economy, internal stability, and regional political relations. They also called for Jordan’s airports, ports, military bases, and strategic facilities to remain neutral and not be used in the regional conflict, emphasizing that Jordan’s national interest requires a policy of neutrality that preserves its security, stability, and sovereignty.

In recent days, Iran has repeatedly launched missiles toward Jordan, including at Aqaba, directly across from Eilat. Interception debris has crossed into Israeli territory and landed north of the city. According to experts interviewed by The New York Times, Jordan is playing an increasingly central role in U.S. military operations against Iran. They said Washington has relied more heavily on Jordan both before and during the conflict, with the Pentagon relocating forces from Gulf states to areas considered safer.

Unlike the wealthy Gulf states, Jordan is far more dependent on American assistance and is in a weaker position to reject requests from Washington. An Iran expert at a Washington-based Middle East research institute told The New York Times that Gulf countries are now even more reluctant to allow the United States to use their bases extensively for strikes against Iran after coming under attack themselves. Jordan, however, “is not in a position to say no” because of its security agreement with the United States and the dominant role Washington plays in the relationship.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)