Amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, concerns over the safety of travel to and from countries surrounding Israel and Iran are heightened.
Although the Foreign Office considers most of Jordan generally safe to travel to – bar the area up to 3km from its northern border with Syria – travel guidance has been updated to reflect ongoing events.
As of 13 June, the Jordanian airspace is closed following Israel’s overnight barrage of strikes on Iran, resulting in flight cancellations and diversions.
Israel said 200 fighter jets took part in strikes on more than 100 targets in Iran overnight in an escalation that threatens to spark a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Jordan, a popular winter sun destination for tourists, shares its northern border with both Israel and Syria, and travellers with trips booked may be questioning whether to holiday there.
Here’s the latest travel advice for Jordan, plus all the key questions and answers.
As of 13 June, Foreign Office (FCDO) advice for Jordan states: “FCDO advises against all travel to within 3km of the border with Syria.”
Travellers are warned that the security situation “could change suddenly” in Jordan amid ongoing hostilities in the region and the conflict between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region.
The FCDO said: “At 09:30am on 13 June official sirens sounded in Jordan warning people to stay indoors due to the risk of falling debris in anticipation of further exchanges between Israel and Iran. At 12:00 official announcements said the immediate State of Alert was over, but advised people to remain alert.
“If missiles are intercepted in Jordanian airspace, this may result in falling fragments and debris. If you encounter any projectile debris or fragments you should move away from them immediately and contact local authorities.”
Its guidance notes that the situation in Syria is “unpredictable” and the situation “remains volatile and dangerous after over a decade of conflict and insecurity”, advising against all travel to Syria.
Recent protests in Amman about the Gaza conflict near the Israeli and US embassies and downtown may also “heighten anti-western sentiment”, say the FCDO.
According to the FCDO: “On 13 June Jordanian authorities also announced the closure of its airspace. As of 1030 on 13 June Queen Alia International Airport was closed. This will result in flight cancellations and diversions.”
It warned that Global Positioning System (GPS) signals may also be unreliable.
