Jordan’s close partnership with the United States — long a bedrock of economic stability and security for the kingdom — quickly became a strategic liability after Donald Trump's return to the White House and his effort to strong-arm Amman into cooperating with his controversial plan to “clean out” Gaza.
With Amman already reeling from the 90-day global US foreign assistance freeze announced Jan. 20, Trump amplified the pressure Feb. 10, suggesting he could withhold billions in aid to Jordan and Egypt unless both agreed to accept displaced Palestinians as part of his proposal to redevelop Gaza under US control.
Trump walked back his threat to cut aid a day later, but also reaffirmed his Gaza plans during a Feb. 11 meeting in Washington with Jordanian King Abdullah II, who has steadfastly rejected the scheme. Trump has since indicated during a Feb. 21 interview with Fox News that he is "not forcing" the resettlement plan amid pushback. Regardless, this situation has still exposed Amman’s vulnerabilities: Cooperation with any plan to displace some 2 million Palestinians could imperil the monarchy's control, but the loss of US funding would leave a gaping hole in Jordan's budget.
Few countries are as reliant on US aid as Jordan. The United States is the kingdom’s largest financial backer, providing nearly $1.7 billion in aid in 2023 — equivalent to roughly 3.3% of its gross domestic product. By comparison, the United States gave Egypt $1.5 billion last year, equal to 0.4% of its economic output.
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