Jordan to reinstate military draft amid tensions with Israel

Questions over the timing of the directive to reintroduce conscription were posed in a Sunday report by Israel's public broadcaster KAN News.

The Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) will reinstate conscription starting February 2026, JAF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Mustafa Hiyari explained on Monday, following Sunday's directive from Crown Prince Hussain bin Abdullah to reintroduce the draft.

Conscripts are slated to receive 100 Jordanian Dinars ($141) per month as their salary, according to the official Jordan News Agency.

The first draft of conscripts will consist of 6,000 men who will have turned 18 by January 1, 2026, eventually rising to 10,000 draftees in the next conscription round, Hiyari and government spokesperson Mohammad Momani stated.

Individuals born in 2007 and earlier will be required to continue postponing their service under the existing mechanisms, the news agency added.

Refusal to serve will be punishable by a prison sentence ranging from three months to one year, Momani added, stating that there will be no exceptions.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan praised the crown prince's directive as "a significant step toward strengthening national values and youth development," according to Jordan News Agency. Further announcements regarding the details of the conscription process will be announced in the coming weeks, Hassan said on Sunday.

In addition, Senate President Faisal al-Fayez called the initiative "vital" and that it would play a "crucial" role in reinforcing national identity, Jordan News Agency reported.

Is the decision based on recent developments in Israel?

During the press conference, Momani denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that the "Israeli far Right" undermines "prospects for a two-state solution, threatens regional stability, and the interests of all states."

Further, questions over the timing of the directive to reintroduce conscription were posed in a Sunday report by Israel's public broadcaster KAN News.

Jordanian conscription was abolished in 1992 according to KAN, preceding the 1994 peace agreement between Israel and Jordan, with previous attempts to reinstate conscription being rejected, including as recently as 2020.

While reasons for reinstating conscription were not reported, KAN's report insinuated that some have attributed it to the deterioration of relations between Israel and Jordan, over the latter's concerns that Israel's territorial ambitions do not stop at the Jordan River.