Jordan's King Abdullah tells US Defence Secretary West Bank violence threatens stability

Jordan's King Abdullah has told US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin that a surge in violence in the occupied West Bank threatens regional stability.

“There is a need for calm and to reduce escalation in Palestinian territories and stop any unilateral steps that undermine stability and abort chances of attaining peace,” the palace in Amman said, following talks between King Abdullah and Mr Austin on Sunday.

“His Majesty reaffirmed the importance of establishing an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the palace said.

Mr Austin arrived in Jordan on Sunday on the first leg of a Middle East tour that will also take him to Israel and Egypt to show support for Washington's main regional allies amid the growing threat posed by Iran, US officials said.

The Defence Secretary wrote on Twitter before his departure that he would meet key leaders and “reaffirm the US commitment to regional stability and advancing the shared interests of our allies and partners”.

King Abdullah, whose country hosted the first Israeli-Palestinian meeting in Aqaba last week with the participation of top US and Egyptian officials, said efforts must be hastened to bring about a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal based on a two-state solution.

In Israel, Mr Austin will also raise concerns about the violence in the West Bank that has alarmed Jordan and Arab leaders and discuss diplomatic efforts to reduce tension before the start of Muslim and Jewish religious holidays, US officials said.

The US Defence Department said ahead of the visit that discussions would also focus on advancing multilateral security co-operation, particularly in the area of integrated air and missile defences.

Central to discussion will be the “full constellation of Iran-associated threats”, a senior defence official was quoted as saying on the Pentagon's official site before the start of Mr Austin's visit.

“Those threats include Iran's arming, training and funding of violent proxy groups, aggression at sea, cyber threats, its ballistic missile programme and drone attacks,” the official said.

The king also discussed with Mr Austin Jordan's concerns over the growing entrenchment of Iranian-backed militias in southern Syria.

The militias have increased drug-smuggling operations through the country's borders, with the narcotics destined for markets in the Gulf, a Jordanian official told Reuters.

Amman wants more US military aid to bolster security on the border, where Washington has — since the more than decade-long conflict began — given about $1 billion to establish border posts, Jordanian officials say.

Jordan's border with Syria is about 375km long.

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