The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, sadly notorious for its scarce water supplies and complete reliance on oil import, has typically given birth to a literature addressing the issue of its resilience in a context of Middle Eastern instability. These assessments were generally positive, which has notably led the country to intermittently host Belgian F-16 fighter jets within the framework of the international coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) between October 2014 and September 2021. At a time when the region is once more undergoing a series of large-scale transformations, this study aims at providing an updated 360° state of play on this alleged ‘resilience’. While previous studies largely focus on external challenges and typically describe Jordan as being in the (supposedly quiet) eye of the storm, this analysis emphasises that increasing internal challenges make the eye itself stormy.
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© Didier LEROY – Petra September 2019
Security & Strategy 152
The Lone Throne of the Middle East Recalibrating Jordan’s Resilience