Jordan’s pivot to Saudi Arabia, specifically over the latter’s hard-line stand on Iran and its alleged interference in Arab countries’ affairs, took a major leap forward following the visit April 10 by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he met with King Abdullah in the port city of Aqaba. Mohammed, who is also Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, flew from Cairo where his father, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, had concluded what was described as a historic visit to Egypt.

In Cairo, Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi oversaw the signing of strategic cooperation agreements covering economic projects and military cooperation between the two countries worth billions of dollars.

Following Mohammed’s short visit to Jordan, the royal court issued a joint statement that announced a package of measures intended to “enhance cooperation between the two countries.” Jordan and Saudi Arabia underlined “the importance of political consultation between the two countries over regional issues and crises, stressing the importance of political solution as the best option to end them and the need to preserve the territorial unity, sovereignty and stability of the regional countries, rejecting interference in the internal affairs of these states.”

But what was more important is that the two sides stated their rejection of “the policy of interference followed by Iran in the region, which incites sectarian sedition and fuels terrorism.” The statement warned Iran “against continuing with its present approach, which deepens disputes and conflicts in the region and jeopardizes its stability.”