King Abdullah II Warns of Regional War, Calls for De-escalation in Middle East

Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East to prevent a full-out regional war. He emphasized that Jordan will not be a battleground for any party and will not tolerate any threats to the lives of its people, Bloomberg reports.

The king made these remarks at a meeting in Amman with a delegation of US Congress staffers, according to an emailed statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.

The king further stated that the region will remain vulnerable to an expansion of the conflict that threatens its stability as long as the war on Gaza continues.

Iran accused Israel of being behind last month’s assassination of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, on July 31. While Israel has not publicly addressed the incident, it reportedly informed US officials shortly after that it was responsible for the killing. It did not take responsibility for the killing of Hezbollah top military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on July 30.

Both deaths raised concerns about a potential broader regional conflict and a potential direct confrontation between Israel and Iran and its proxies should Tehran decide to respond.