Jordan Daily Brief — Sunday, June 14, 2026

Jordan's foreign minister led a high-level ministerial delegation to Damascus, regional fighting continued to threaten a US-Iran peace deal, and the Cabinet extended the Risha Gas Field concession to 2061. Here is what shaped Jordan's Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi arrived in Damascus on Sunday at the head of a ministerial delegation that included the ministers of Water, Transport and Industry — the most substantive high-level contact between the two countries since diplomatic ties were restored after the fall of the Assad government.

The expanded session followed up on the second Jordanian-Syrian Higher Coordination Council, held in Amman on April 12, and covered economic integration, transport, customs and water. The Syrian government expressed particular appreciation for Jordan's decision to reopen imports from Syria and the launch of a new trade mechanism that entered into force on May 1. 1

The two sides signed a new air services agreement and agreed to hold the third session of the Higher Coordination Council in Damascus in October 2026. In their joint statement, Safadi and Syrian FM Asaad Shaibani called for halting Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, described them as a "flagrant violation" of international law, and demanded Israel withdraw to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement lines. 2

Israeli forces struck Beirut's southern Dahiyeh district on Sunday, killing three people, after reporting drone incidents from Hezbollah targeting northern Israel. US President Donald Trump said on social media that the strikes "should not have happened" and that a regional peace deal was close: "We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down." 3

The escalation arrived at a delicate moment. Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said there was "no point" continuing peace talks after the strike, as Tehran insists a ceasefire in Lebanon must be part of any agreement. Iran's military warned the attack would not go "unanswered." Jordan has no direct role in the current Israel-Lebanon fighting, but a widening conflict has repeatedly impacted Jordanian airspace in recent weeks and any Hormuz disruption affects Jordan's energy imports. 3

The Cabinet on Sunday approved a 15-year extension of the National Petroleum Company's concession at the Risha Gas Field, pushing its expiry to 2061. Production targets under the new framework are set at 418 million standard cubic feet per day by 2030, rising to 810 million standard cubic feet per day by 2035. The government will provide JD87 million in financial support over three years — JD35 million in 2026, JD35 million in 2027 and JD17 million in 2028 — to fund expansion of gas processing facilities and a strategic pipeline linking Risha to the Arab Gas Pipeline, expected to be operational by 2029. 4

The same session approved the first phase of technical competency frameworks for government positions covering approximately 40 percent of public sector jobs, including human resources, digital transformation, cybersecurity and legal affairs. The Cabinet also approved the administrative bylaws for the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority and the Ministry of Social Development, and approved the Education Tax budget for 2026–2028 at JD20 million for school construction and maintenance. 4

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan met on Sunday with Anna Bjerde, the World Bank's Managing Director of Operations, at the Prime Ministry. Minister of Planning Zeina Toukan attended. Hassan praised the Jordan-World Bank partnership and its role in key development projects. Bjerde said the Bank remains committed to supporting Jordan across energy, transport, water, education, healthcare and digital transformation, and stressed its backing for the goals of the Economic Modernisation Vision. 5

The meeting comes days after the World Bank forecast Jordan's GDP growth at 2.7% for 2026, rising to 3% by 2028, and follows last week's Cabinet approval of a $400 million World Bank health-sector financing package.

The Amman Stock Exchange closed Sunday up 1.55% to 4,015 points. Trading volume reached JD24.9 million across 5,498 transactions involving 5.6 million shares. The industrial sector led the session with a gain of 3.22%, followed by financials (+1.31%) and services (+0.74%). Of the 100 companies that traded, 45 advanced and 21 declined. 6

On the border, the Southern Military Zone foiled two attempts to smuggle large quantities of narcotics via drone on its western front early Sunday. Border Guard forces detected the aircraft, applied rules of engagement and shot them down inside Jordanian territory before transferring the seized materials to relevant authorities. 7 Jordan has downed more than 56 drones on its borders since the start of the year, according to an Armed Forces briefing reported earlier this week.

Jordan's national football team, Al-Nashama, left Portland on Sunday and headed to San Francisco ahead of their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Austria, set for early Wednesday morning Jordan time at the San Francisco Bay Arena. Under head coach Jamal Sellami, the squad has spent the past several days in Portland blending tactical work with physical conditioning — sessions that drew strong international media attention as Jordan prepares for its first-ever World Cup appearance. 8

Jordan is placed in Group J alongside world champions Argentina, Algeria and Austria. After the Austria match, Jordan faces Algeria on June 23 at 6:00 a.m. Jordan time, then closes the group stage against Argentina in Dallas on June 28 at 5:00 a.m. Jordan time. A pre-match press conference and official training session are scheduled for Monday. 8