United States Says Aqaba Airport and Port Evacuation Order Issued; Jordan Says No Such Order Was Given (Roundup)
- Input
- 2026-07-19 19:18:34
- Updated
- 2026-07-19 19:18:34
[Financial News] The United States Embassy in Amman said that The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan had ordered an evacuation of the international airport and port in the Aqaba area near the Red Sea. Jordan denied the report.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the United States Embassy in Amman said on the 19th local time that "this is based on a specific and credible threat."
The embassy urged all United States citizens to avoid traveling to the airport or port and asked them to refrain from visiting military bases in Jordan.
The move is seen as a response to intensifying Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting United States assets in the Middle East as military tensions between the United States and Iran have recently escalated.
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the 17th that Iran attacked Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, Jordan, with ballistic missiles and drones, killing two United States troops stationed at the base and leaving one missing.
However, Jordanian government spokesman Muhammad al-Momani said there had been no evacuation order for Aqaba Airport and Port, and that the facilities were operating normally, according to the state-run Petra News Agency.
Al-Momani also said no potential threat had been detected over the past several hours.
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the 17th that Iran attacked Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, Jordan, with ballistic missiles and drones, killing two United States troops stationed at the base and leaving one missing.
The Gulf of Aqaba, surrounded by Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, connects to the Red Sea. There is also growing speculation that Iran may use Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea region.
The United States Department of State (State Department) had previously recommended on March 2 that United States government employees and their families stationed in Jordan evacuate.
kim091@fnnews.com Kim Young-kwon Reporter