Iran’s missile strike on US base in Jordan exposes systemic proxy warfare and regional power vacuums
Original framing: “Iran targets US base in Jordan” — Middle East Eye
The US military presence in Jordan dates to the 1991 Gulf War, but its roots trace to Cold War interventions that treated the Middle East as a chessboard for superpower rivalry. The 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran and subsequent sanctions created the conditions for the Islamic Republic’s rise, while US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s fueled the very regime Iran now confronts. The 2003 Iraq War shattered regional stability, leaving a vacuum filled by militias and foreign fighters—a pattern repeating in Syria and now Jordan. This strike is a symptom of a 70-year cycle of intervention, retaliation, and state failure.
The strike on the US base in Jordan is not an isolated act of aggression but a symptom of a 70-year cycle of intervention, retaliation, and state failure, where external actors treat the region as a chessboard while local communities bear the cost.
The US military presence, justified as deterrence, has instead fueled a security dilemma, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responding in kind—a dynamic well-documented in proxy warfare literature. Jordan’s monarchy, dependent on this presence for regime stability, suppresses dissent from Bedouin communities and civil society groups who bear the brunt of militarization. The solution lies not in escalation but in de-escalation: a phased withdrawal of foreign forces, paired with economic integration and indigenous-led mediation that addresses historical grievances. This approach aligns with cross-cultural wisdom (e.g., Nabatean hospitality, Sufi mediation) and scientific evidence on conflict resolution, offering a path beyond the absurd cycle of violence. The trickster’s laughter reminds us that the solemnity of war planners is itself a folly—one that can be undone by reimagining security as shared humanity.