Tensions between Jordan and Syria have escalated in recent days following a series of security incidents along their shared border in southern Syria, near both Jordan and Israel’s Golan Heights. The developments come amid ongoing regional instability and heightened concerns over cross-border smuggling and militant activities.

Last week, Jordanian authorities launched an airstrike targeting a terror cell in southern Syria, a region that has long witnessed conflict and shifting control since the onset of the Syrian civil war. This action followed an earlier attack on a church in the Jordanian city of Karak, raising alarm over security threats within Jordan’s borders.

In parallel, Jordanian security forces intercepted a large narcotics shipment attempting to cross from Syria into Jordan through the Jaber border crossing. The Public Security Directorate (PSD) announced the seizure of two million narcotic pills during a coordinated operation involving the Anti-Narcotics Department and Customs officials. Such smuggling attempts are not new, as Jordan has been contending with drug trafficking from Syria for years. While the Syrian government under the Assad regime previously supported smuggling networks, current authorities deny involvement. Nonetheless, smuggling persists, particularly through areas like Sweida in southern Syria, where ongoing clashes between Druze communities and Syrian government forces have created ungoverned spaces exploited by traffickers.

Further complicating border security, Jordanian police confiscated nine automatic firearms and GPS devices last Saturday after a suspicious package was found in the Mochi area of Karak. Preliminary investigations suggest that the package may have drifted into Jordan via windborne thermal balloons launched from the southern border, underscoring continuing security vulnerabilities.

Against this backdrop, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani affirmed in Bahrain during the 22nd Manama Dialogue that Syria and Jordan maintain strategic relations and cooperate closely on security matters to protect their common border and promote regional stability. Shaibani characterized current Syrian-Jordanian ties as the strongest in a century and emphasized that Jordan’s security was integral to Syria’s own. He acknowledged the challenges posed by non-state armed groups operating across borders, which undermine governmental authority and exacerbate regional tensions.

Historically, Jordan and Syria have shared a complex relationship marked by intertwined political legacies and frequent tensions. Their linkages date back to the post–World War I Arab Revolt, with both countries eventually emerging from the mandates established by Britain and France. The Black September conflict in 1970, during which Syrian forces intervened against Jordanian troops, sowed deep mistrust. More recently, the Syrian civil war that began in 2011 further complicated relations as Jordan accommodated large numbers of refugees and engaged various opposition factions, while also moving to restore formal ties with Damascus.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024 and the installation of President Ahmad al-Rifai’s government, Amman has sought to engage Damascus diplomatically. However, persistent instability in southern Syria, especially in the provinces of Dara’a and Sweida, alongside ongoing drug trafficking and the presence of Iranian-backed militias, continue to challenge efforts to stabilize the border region.

For Jordan, managing these security risks and preventing spillover from Syria remain top priorities. Ensuring a stable and cooperative Syrian neighbor is critical to safeguarding its own borders and mitigating risks that could affect the wider Levant, including the adjacent Israeli Golan.