US, regional leaders rally behind Jordan's King Abdullah II after reported coup attempt
US, regional leaders rally behind Jordan's King Abdullah II after reported coup attempt
Arab states and Washington have expressed support for Jordan's king amid claims of an attempted coup.
2 min read
King Abdullah II received messages of support from regional allies [Getty/ Archive]
Regional and international powers have rallied behind Jordan's King Abdullah II after an alleged plot by former crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein to topple the monarch.
Jordanian authorities arrested Prince Hamzah, King Abdullah's elder half-brother, along with several others on Saturday over an alleged threat to the kingdom's "security and stability", the military said.
Arab states, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, responded with statements of full support for Jordan's king.
"The kingdom affirms its full support, with all its capabilities, to all decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah and His Highness Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, to maintain security and stability," read a statement issued by the Saudi royal court.
In a statement on Facebook, Egypt's presidency underscored its backing of King Abdullah and his endeavours to "maintain the security and stability of the kingdom against any attempts to undermine it".
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Qatar, meanwhile, expressed "full solidarity" with Jordan, adding that "strategic relations between the two brotherly countries will remain an honest and strong guard against any attempts to undermine the security and stability in the two countries and the region," according to then Qatar News Agency.
Similar statements were also issued by the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Further afield, the United States joined the chorus of support for King Abdullah, who has acted as a key regional ally to Washington in its operations against the Islamic State group.
"We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support," US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in an email.
Prince Hamzah, the eldest son of of Jordan's late King Hussein, Jordan's crown prince for four years before being stripped of the title to make way for the current monarch’s eldest son, Hussein.
The former crown prince was escorted from his Amman palace on Saturday and placed under house arrest.
No details have been released to reveal the full extent of the plot, however the source said it was “well-organised” and involved "foreign" elements.
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