Jordan arrests 16 over drone and missile plot against kingdom

Authorities say the 16 belong to the Muslim Brotherhood and were arrested on suspicion of making missiles and possessing explosives

Jordan said on Tuesday it had thwarted a plot against the kingdom's security by 16 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing rockets and possessing explosives.

The 16 had allegedly worked in four cells since 2021, with some receiving training in Lebanon or travelling abroad to obtain help in making missiles, in what government spokesman Mohammad Al Momani described as a "direct threat to national security and to the Jordanian state".

If the plot had continued, 300 missiles could have been made, with a range of 3km to 5km "meaning a threat on targets inside the kingdom", authorities said. One missile was described as “ready to use”. Mr Al Momani said that all the explosives were imported from abroad.

The suspects, some of whom had allegedly met to discuss making drones, have been transferred to a special anti-terrorism court. Mr Al Momani said they belonged to an "unlicensed and disbanded group", in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Jordan said the suspects will face trial before a state security court. Photo: Ministry of Government Communication - Jordan

Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, which is not banned in the country but has had some of its operations shut down, said in response that it has "no link" to the allegations by the government. It said the people involved had carried out "individual actions, within the context of supporting the resistance". The Brotherhood "was and remains a genuine part of the fabric of Jordan and puts the kingdom's high interests ahead of any consideration," it said.

In Jordan, the Brotherhood operates under the Islamic Action Front, a religious party that has been playing a significant role in organising demonstrations in support of Gaza. The party made gains in Jordan's parliamentary elections in September last year, adding 24 seats to the eight it already held, and raising its share to one fifth of the assembly. However, all significant power in the country is held by King Abdullah.

The UAE expressed support for Jordan after the plot was revealed late on Tuesday. "Our position is firm and steadfast in the face of anyone who attempts to undermine its security and prosperity," said Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed.

Lebanon said it was ready to co-operate after it was alleged that some suspects had been trained in the country. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Jordanian counterpart Jafar Hassan in a call that Lebanon "refuses to be a headquarters or launching pad for any action that would threaten the security of any brotherly or friendly country", Lebanon's official news agency said.

Authorities in Jordan face challenges in maintaining a balance between the kingdom's crucial alliance with Washington and containing local discontent over US ally Israel's actions in Gaza, where it has continued its deadly war against Hamas despite agreeing to a ceasefire.

Official TV singled out Ibrahim Mohammad, one of the 16 arrested, as a "primary" instigator of the plot. He is said to have come up with the plan of making missiles and arranged for two members to visit Lebanon and receive training to carry out the plot. Another member was assigned the task of moving money to finance the plan, it was reported.

Jordan's government released footage of Abdullah Hisham, Moath Al Ghanem and Muhsin Al Ghanem confessing to involvement in the alleged plot. Photo: Ministry of Government Communication - Jordan

Moath Al Ghanem, one of the captured men, said in a videotaped confession released by Jordanian authorities that he went to Lebanon in 2021 with other members of the group and met a man called Abu Ahmad, who proposed the idea of making rockets.

Muhsin Al Ghanem, a second alleged member of the cell, said he transported $20,000 from abroad for the operation. A third called Abdullah Hisham said he also went to Lebanon where those involved in the plot taught him machine work at a garage.

The TV report said that an "organisational official" was in Beirut, but no further details were provided. Mr Mohammad has been charged with transporting and storing 30kg of TNT, C4, and Semtex-H explosives, it said. Security forces swooped just as members of the cell were about to produce the first prototype, according to the television report.

The cell allegedly worked in areas near Amman and "imported machines for its illicit purposes". Missile parts were hidden in a secret room with a concrete door, according to authorities. The parts, when assembled, would form short-range Grad-type missiles, ready "to be supplied with explosives, engines and detonators", the report said.

Jordanian security forces keep watch during a pro-Palestinian rally in Amman. The kingdom faces challenges in maintaining a balance between its US alliance and containing popular outrage at Israel. EPA

Official television also broadcast confessions linked to another cell it said had the task of planning to make drones. It consisted of four members, including a civil aviation engineer named Abdul Aziz Haroun. The four allegedly met several times, with Haroun assigned the task of securing the shell. Another member was supposed to design an electricity circuit.

Security concerns

In November, amid rising domestic pressure on the authorities related to the Gaza war, Jordan’s security forces shot and killed a gunman in the capital Amman in an exchange of fire near the Israeli embassy.

King Abdullah and his government have strongly criticised Israel's war conduct in Gaza and repeatedly called for a ceasefire. But more than a year of war in the Palestinian enclave has led to frustration with the official policy of honouring Jordan's 1994 peace treaty with Israel, which obliges the two sides to prevent threats to each other's security. The kingdom also has a defence pact with the US, Israel's main ally, on which it depends for financial and military assistance.

Officials say no one has supported the Palestinian cause more than Jordan, highlighting the kingdom's role in preserving Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, through a custodianship that traces its roots to King Abdullah's great-grandfather.