Jordan Daily Brief — Saturday, June 13, 2026
Iran's Mehr News Agency published a draft US-Iran peace framework that could unlock $24 billion in frozen assets and end hostilities across all fronts, as Trump cancelled new strikes. Jordan's World Bank growth forecast reaches 3% by 2028 and expat remittances rose 13.3% to $1.616B. Jordan marks its 80th Independence Anniversary with global celebrations from Ottawa to Jakarta, Al-Nashama open their Portland World Cup camp, and two suspects are arrested for a murder in Amman.
Friday, June 13, 2026 | Five stories shaping Jordan today — from a potential Iran-US peace deal to Al-Nashama's World Cup camp opening in Portland.
Iran-US draft deal surfaces; Azraq missile intercepts continue
Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency published what it described as a draft memorandum of understanding with the United States on Friday, outlining a framework to end hostilities "on all fronts, including in Lebanon." 1 According to the published text, the deal would unlock $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets within a 60-day period, with half made available before formal negotiations begin.
US President Donald Trump had already announced on Thursday evening that he was cancelling scheduled strikes on Iran after "discussions had been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership," and indicated that the time and place for a signing would be announced shortly.
The announcement came one day after the Jordanian Armed Forces confirmed a third consecutive interception of Iranian missiles fired at the Al-Azraq air base, roughly 80 km east of Amman — a facility also used by US forces. The JAF reported 20 missiles intercepted on June 11, matching the figure from June 10. 2 Open-source analysts and Iranian semi-official media have shared imagery of warheads that made it past defenses, indicating some residual risk at the site.
A Foundation for Defense of Democracies analysis published Friday argues that Iran's repeated targeting of Azraq is a deliberate strategy to pressure regional states hosting US forces, and calls on Washington to deepen Jordan's integration into regional air and missile defense architecture.
World Bank sees Jordan at 3% growth by 2028
The World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects report, released Thursday, forecasts Jordan's GDP growth at 2.7% in 2026, rising to 2.9% in 2027 and reaching 3.0% in 2028. 3 The projection is notably above the MENAP regional average: the Bank forecasts the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan bloc will slow sharply to 1.6% growth in 2026, down from around 4% in 2025, due to the knock-on effects of regional conflicts and elevated shipping costs.
The Bank flags Jordan's fertilizer exports as a cushion — high global fertilizer prices are expected to offset some of the import cost pressures that energy-importing nations face. A regional recovery is anticipated from 2027 onward, with the bloc projected to average 4.5% growth by 2027-2028 as disruptions ease.
Separately, Central Bank of Jordan data published Wednesday showed expatriate remittances climbed 13.3% in January-April 2026 to reach $1.616 billion. 4 The UAE topped the source list at 22.7% of inflows, followed by the United States (19.3%) and Saudi Arabia (17.9%).
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80th Independence Day marked across four continents
Jordan's 80th Independence Anniversary, officially observed on May 25, is receiving a second wave of diplomatic celebrations abroad this week. 5
In Ottawa, the Jordan Tourism Board co-hosted a reception attended by Canadian Sport Minister Adam van Koeverden, members of parliament, senate officials, and heads of diplomatic missions. Ambassador Sabah Al-Rafie delivered remarks tracing Jordan's "resilience, achievement, modernization and development" over eight decades of Hashemite leadership. In an unusual gesture, Niagara Falls was illuminated in the colors of the Jordanian flag that evening, and a Jordanian flag was raised at Ottawa City Hall.
Parallel celebrations took place in Jakarta and New Delhi the same day, organized by the Jordanian embassy and tourism ministry respectively, each featuring cultural and heritage presentations.
Al-Nashama open Portland camp ahead of World Cup opener
Jordan's national football team touched down in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday to a warm reception from Jordanian fans, formally opening their training camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 6 HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, led the delegation, while head coach Jamal Sellami ran all 26 squad members through an opening session that same evening.
Jordan are in Group J alongside defending champions Argentina, Algeria, and Austria. Sellami acknowledged the bracket is "among the strongest in the tournament." The schedule:
| Date (Amman time) | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, June 17 — 7:00 AM | Austria | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Tue, June 23 — 6:00 AM | Algeria | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Sun, June 28 — 5:00 AM | Argentina | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
Two arrested in Amman murder case
The Public Security Directorate announced on Friday that two suspects have been arrested for the murder of a man who had been reported missing for more than two weeks. 7 The suspects, identified through detective work on the victim's social circle, confessed during questioning to fatally stabbing him following a dispute and burying his body in an uninhabited area north of Amman. Investigators recovered the body and the murder weapon. The case is to be referred to the judiciary once legal procedures are complete.
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