The Alma Research Institute in Israel has released a report analyzing the Iranian regime’s activities in Jordan through the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The report examines the objectives and regional implications of these operations.
According to the report, Jordan has for years served as a primary operational arena for the Iranian regime and Hezbollah. This situation has had a direct impact on developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The Alma Institute notes that the Iranian regime and Hezbollah have been continuously active in Jordan for over twenty-five years. Their efforts intensified in May 2000, coinciding with the withdrawal of the Israeli military from southern Lebanon.
Objective: Destabilize Jordan and launch attacks on Israel
The Alma report states that these operations pursue two main objectives: first, to destabilize Jordan’s sovereignty through terrorist operations within the country as a means to create a foothold for the Shiite axis; and second, to conduct direct terrorist operations against Israel from Jordanian territory, as well as support terrorist activity in the West Bank. In this scenario, Jordan serves as a transit country, including for weapons smuggling into the West Bank, with the ultimate goal of severely damaging the relationship between Amman and Tel Aviv.
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According to the report, the Iranian regime and Hezbollah conduct these activities by establishing direct connections with various groups in Jordan, including the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestinians living in refugee camps. These ties are also cultivated indirectly through Palestinian organizations based in Lebanon, as well as Shia individuals traveling to Jordan for commercial purposes or pilgrimages to Shia holy sites.
The Alma Institute writes that Unit 3900 is a joint force composed of Hezbollah operatives and the Palestinian branch of the Quds Force of the IRGC. It is commanded by Mohammad Saeed Izadi, also known as “Haj Ramadan.” The unit’s primary mission is to collaborate with Palestinian terrorist groups in conducting operations against Israeli targets and interests worldwide. This cooperation includes financial support, transfer of technical expertise, and provision of equipment.
The report adds that on April 1 of this year, a nine-story building in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut was targeted in an airstrike. The target of the attack was Hassan Bdeir, known as “Haj Rabih,” a senior figure in Unit 3900. He was one of the main operatives coordinating Hamas elements and was reportedly attempting to orchestrate a large-scale attack on Israeli civilians in the near future.
According to the report, “On April 15, it was reported that Jordanian intelligence succeeded in thwarting and exposing a significant terrorist infrastructure whose activity began in 2021 and was about to carry out some of its plans. 16 operatives involved were arrested. The infrastructure operatives, who appear to belong to the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Jordan, underwent training in Lebanon and received financial support and professional knowledge from Lebanon from Hamas-Lebanon operatives.”
The institute has also emphasized that no direct link has been established between the assassination of Hassan Bdeir—” who directed Hamas operatives and aided them in an attempt to advance a serious attack in the immediate short term against Israeli civilians.” —and the terror infrastructure uncovered in Jordan. The Palestinian branch of the Quds Force and Unit 3900 operate on multiple fronts simultaneously, and it is possible that Bdeir was targeted due to other activities.
The Alma Institute concludes its report by stating that Jordan has always held a special place in the Iranian regime’s broader strategic plans and has now reemerged as a prominent alternative theater in light of recent developments. The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power in Syria and the aftermath of the recent war in Lebanon have diminished Iran’s direct access to the Syrian front against Israel. In Lebanon, Tehran has shifted its focus toward rebuilding and strengthening Hezbollah’s military capabilities, though this effort faces numerous challenges due to the ongoing conflict. Under these circumstances, Jordan’s geographic and political characteristics have made it a viable alternative in the Iranian regime’s regional strategy.
