Jordan and the United States signed a four-year strategic agreement on Aug. 4 that will provide the Hashemite kingdom with $355 million in assistance, offering fresh evidence of Washington’s support at a particularly vulnerable moment for Amman. The development emerged after Iranian drones and missiles rained down on Jordan throughout July.

Although aimed at US forces in the country, the waves of Iranian attacks stirred domestic unease among Jordanians as their country absorbed direct fallout from Washington’s five-month-old war with Tehran, which had already hit the kingdom’s economy by hurting its vital tourism industry. 

This new US assistance is modest compared with the billions of dollars Washington has provided Jordan over the years. Yet, it carries added significance given that the Trump administration sharply curtailed foreign assistance globally last year and temporarily froze aid to Jordan, a major recipient.

The agreement’s framing is also notable. In announcing the pact, the US Embassy in Amman emphasized the benefits for American companies, US technology and President Donald Trump’s foreign assistance agenda. It offered few details about what the new funding would support in Jordan while stressing that future assistance would be tied to measurable results, greater Jordanian investment and a “defined pathway toward reduced reliance on US support.” The Jordan News Agency, Petra, said the assistance would go toward promoting economic growth and developing essential infrastructure services.