Relationship dossier
Iran
Jordan
Relationship assessment
Persistent security tensions coexist with periodic diplomatic engagement
Iran toward Jordan
-35Iranian government statements challenging Jordan’s security cooperation with the United States and Israel have contributed to bilateral mistrust. Iran and Jordan nevertheless maintained diplomatic contact, including a meeting between their foreign ministers in 2023.
Jordan toward Iran
-25Jordan has raised concerns about Iran’s regional influence and its implications for Jordanian security. Jordan also maintained diplomatic engagement with Iran, including a foreign-minister meeting in 2023.
Overall relationship
-30The relationship combines recurring regional-security friction with limited diplomatic engagement. Mutual concerns about security and Iran’s regional role weigh on ties, while high-level talks provide a channel for managing disagreements. The relationship is neither a sustained partnership nor one defined solely by confrontation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Iran–Jordan relations have been marked by persistent regional-security concerns and diplomatic friction, alongside periodic government-level engagement. Jordan has expressed concern about Iran’s regional influence, while Iranian statements and disputes over Jordan’s security cooperation have contributed to mistrust. The two governments have also maintained channels for discussion, including a foreign-minister meeting in 2023.
Areas of tension
- Jordanian concerns about Iran’s regional influence and its implications for Jordanian security
- Disputes over Jordan’s security cooperation with the United States and Israel
Key developments
The foreign ministers of Iran and Jordan met to discuss bilateral relations.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and follow-through of recent bilateral diplomatic discussions are unclear.
- Details of direct Iranian-Jordanian security cooperation and communication are limited.