Jordanian military denies participation in US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria
Shafaq News / A military source in the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces announced on Saturday that the Royal Jordanian Air Force did not take part in the airstrikes conducted by the US Air Force inside Iraqi territories.
The source, as reported by the official Jordanian news agency Petra, stated that "there is no truth to the reports circulated this morning regarding the participation of Jordanian aircraft in the operations carried out by US aircraft in Iraq."
"the Jordanian Armed Forces - Arab Army respects the sovereignty of brotherly Iraq," the source affirmed "the depth of fraternal relations that unite Jordan with all Arab countries."
Earlier today, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that its forces launched 85 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, targeting sites belonging to the Quds Force of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militia groups.
Earlier on Saturday, some information suggested that F-16 aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force participated in the airstrikes led by the United States the previous night.
Sources indicated that the Jordanian aircraft joined after targets were identified, according to the Wall Street Journal, noting that Jordan's role was to demonstrate solidarity with the United States following the drone strike on Tower 22, a military site in Jordan near the Syrian border.
President Joe Biden had directed military forces to strike targets in Iraq and Syria used by the IRGC and its affiliated militias to attack US forces, stating that while the US does not seek escalation in the Middle East, it will respond decisively to those who harm Americans.
The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul, pledged earlier today that the US airstrikes targeting western regions of the country constituted a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty."
Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed today that the United States had already informed the Iraqi government before conducting the airstrikes.
