Jordan caught in Iran-US-Israel war crossfire

Almost six months after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, kickstarting another war in the Middle East, the turmoil wrought by the conflict has continued to rock Jordan.

The desert kingdom is far from the Persian Gulf but geographically flanks Tehran's longtime enemy Israel, and as a result, it was caught in the crossfire.

Heavy Iranian missile and drone barrages have rained down upon Jordan, given it also plays host to US military personnel.

The situation has poured fuel on pre-existing anti-American sentiment amongst the community.

"I think the king is well aware of all of these tensions," said Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Hamadah Faranah, a former Jordanian politician turned commentator and writer, argued the majority of the population were against the war, and viewed it as the US doing the bidding of Israel.

"We are deeply disappointed that Iran lacks foresight, and that its external reactions are excessive and infringe upon the sovereignty of Arab countries — whether it is the Gulf states or Jordan," he told the ABC in his office in Amman.

"Iran should have given priority to strike and stop the American naval fleets in the Arabian Gulf, in the Arabian Sea, in the Indian Ocean, and strike the Israeli colonial state."

The state of affairs has even prompted a rare public criticism of the government for allowing the US to operate from bases across the country.

But given the ruling family's historically strong US relations and King Abdullah favouring deeper ties with Washington, the war appears unlikely to change Jordan's stance.

There have been an estimated 4,000 US defence personnel stationed in Jordan, operating from a number of locations. That figure may have changed during the war.

The most high-profile facility has been the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base near Azraq, roughly 100 kilometres east of the Jordanian capital Amman.

The site has been hosting US Air Force planes and air defence systems, including one of the country's sophisticated THAAD anti-missile batteries — which has reportedly been damaged in the war.

Dozens of Iranian missiles have targeted the base, including one surprise attack in July which killed three American soldiers.