The Daily Telegraph

Jordan emerges as the unlikely aerial defender of its neighbour

- By Nataliya Vasilyeva in Jerusalem

JORDAN last night emerged as an unlikely defender of Israel despite its scathing criticism of the Gaza war and recent anti-israeli protests.

After Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night, Jordan – which shares a lengthy border with Israel – scrambled its fighter jets overnight to shoot down many of the drones.

Neither the IDF nor the United States or Jordan offered exact figures on their involvemen­t in the taking out of 99 per cent of Iran’s missiles and drones but reports suggest that most – if not all – drones were shot down outside Israeli borders, most likely in Jordan.

Jordan’s government said yesterday it intercepte­d “flying objects” that breached its airspace after it was closed shortly before midnight on Saturday.

“Some flying objects that entered our airspace last night were dealt with and confronted,” the government said in a statement, stressing that the military “will confront anything that would expose the security and safety of the nation ... to any danger or transgress­ion by any party". Drones were brought down in the air on the Jordanian side of the Jordan Val- ley that it shares with Israel and the occupied West Bank as they were heading towards Jerusalem, which triggered rare air raid sirens in the city, unnamed security officials in Jordan told Reuters. Others were reportedly intercepte­d closer to the Iraqi-syrian border.

Swarms of Iranian drones were sighted in the skies over the northern, central and southern parts of Jordan as well as the capital of Amman, which is a one-hour drive from the Israeli border.

Jordan has been critical of Israel’s war with Gaza, with its foreign minister accusing Israel of aiming to “empty out Gaza”, which he said meets the legal definition of genocide.

The king of Jordan last week teamed up with the presidents of France and Egypt to urge Israel for a ceasefire.

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