The confrontation between Iran and the United States is no longer confined to the Strait of Hormuz or Iran’s nuclear capability. It increasingly extends into the broader equations of regional security, the balance of power, and the stability of states and their ability to manage the consequences of external pressure. As part of the crisis moves into Iran itself, and risks surrounding maritime security in the Gulf and the Red Sea continue to grow, the region is entering a phase that requires a renewed understanding of national security, not simply as the ability to confront crises, but as the ability to build stability from within.

 

 

For Jordan, these developments carry particular significance. For decades, Jordan has demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate one of the region’s most complex environments. It has preserved its security and stability, consolidated its strategic position, and continued to play an important role in regional security and diplomacy.

 

 

The nature of the challenge is now changing. Jordan will continue to deal with pressures emerging from its surrounding environment, but the next phase requires moving beyond the management of successive crises toward investing in the foundations of the country’s future. This does not mean choosing between Jordan and the region. It means placing Jordan’s national interests at the centre of how it engages with both.

 

 

Strategic relationships remain one of Jordan’s sources of strength. Its partnership with the United States, its role in regional security, and its ability to keep channels of communication open with different actors provide the Kingdom with important strategic space. The same applies to its relations with neighbouring states. The ability to maintain communication and avoid being drawn into regional polarisation is itself a strategic asset.

 

 

But diplomacy and security cannot, on their own, constitute the foundation of national resilience. The next phase requires a clearer national project, one that makes strengthening the domestic front a natural extension of protecting Jordan’s interests abroad.

 

 

The first pillar of this project is national identity. Jordan needs to strengthen a national identity that gives citizens confidence in their country, connects them to its future, and provides an alternative to identities shaped by regional conflicts and transnational ideological projects. National identity should not be a project of exclusion. It should be a space for belonging, participation and equal opportunity.

 

 

This is where culture becomes a strategic investment. Investing in education, creativity and intellectual life is not a luxury in times of crisis. It is part of building a society capable of confronting polarisation and extremism. Citizens need space to think and create, and they need to believe that their future can be built in their own country.

 

 

The second pillar is economic and geographic development.Jordan needs to continue attracting investment while expanding the geographical reach of development beyond the traditional concentration of economic activity. The Kingdom’s geographic and economic potential, particularly along the corridor from Amman towards the south and Aqaba, creates significant opportunities for new economic, tourism and cultural projects. Real development is development that creates opportunities for Jordanian youth to work, produce and build their future, while allowing them to feel that their success is connected to their society and their country.

 

 

This is where development moves from being an economic priority to becoming a fundamental pillar of national security. The stronger the opportunities for employment, belonging and confidence in the future, the greater society’s ability to withstand the consequences of crises and attempts to exploit them.

 

 

Regional crises will not disappear anytime soon. Developments in Syria, the confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States, and maritime security in the Gulf and the Red Sea will continue to shape Jordan’s strategic environment.

 

 

For this reason, Jordan needs to operate along two parallel tracks: professional management of external crises and a long-term national project at home.

 

 

The objective should not simply be to overcome the next regional crisis, but to build a stronger and more resilient Jordan, regardless of how long the region’s crises may last.

 

 

This is what putting Jordan first means: investing in the Jordanian individual, in culture, cities, the economy and national capabilities; strengthening national identity while preserving openness; and giving young people both a reason to believe in the future and a genuine opportunity to help build it.

 

 

Jordan has demonstrated its ability to endure some of the region’s most difficult circumstances. The next strategic step, however, is to transform that resilience into sustainable development, and to turn regional uncertainty into an opportunity to build a national project that is stronger, more deeply rooted and more confident in the future.