Jordan's king backs formation of NATO-style alliance in Mideast

By Laith Juneidi

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he supports the formation of a NATO-style military alliance in the Middle East region.

“The kingdom works actively with NATO and sees itself as a partner of the alliance, having fought shoulder-to-shoulder with NATO troops for decades,” he said in an interview with CNBC network.

The Jordanian monarch expressed his desire to see “more countries in the area come into that mix.”

“I would be one of the first people that would endorse a Middle East NATO,” he added.

King Abdullah said the vision and mission statement for such a military alliance must “be very clear, and its role should be well defined.”

He went on to call on Arab countries to help each other, stressing that "insecurities and instability in the region will affect regional projects.”

“The goal needs to be a win-win solution,” the monarch said.

The monarch considered the “Israel-Palestinian conflict has the potential to derail plans and cooperation in the Middle East.”

“If they’re not talking to each other, that creates insecurities and instability in the region that will affect regional projects,” he added.

As for Tehran, the Jordanian king put a "question mark" on "Iran's role in the region.”

“Nobody wants war, nobody wants conflict,” he said. “But it remains to be seen whether countries in the Middle East can work toward a vision where prosperity is the name of the game.”

King Abdullah’s interview comes ahead of a planned summit between US President Joe Biden and Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia next month.

* Writing by Bassel Barakat