The CEO of the Aqaba Ports Company told Reuters the port is operating normally and was not evacuated, contradicting earlier reports of a full evacuation after a US Embassy threat alert for the Aqaba seaport and airport. Israeli authorities have not changed guidelines for Eilat.
At 12:51 Jerusalem today, the CEO of the Aqaba Ports Company told Reuters the port is operating normally and was not evacuated, directly contradicting earlier reports of a full evacuation. The statement comes after a rapid sequence of conflicting reports Sunday morning, and marks the latest—and most authoritative—on-record denial of the evacuation claims.
The day's events began at 12:51 Jerusalem with the US Embassy in Jordan issuing a 'specific and credible threat' alert for Aqaba's airport and seaport, prompting initial reports of evacuations. Within the same minute, Jordanian officials denied the evacuation reports, and The Zioneer subsequently retracted its earlier bulletin, calling the evacuation report 'fake.' The CEO's confirmation provides the strongest on-record denial, as it is the first direct statement from a Jordanian official involved in port operations.
The Aqaba alert unfolded against the backdrop of broader regional tensions. As The Zioneer reported, an Iranian military source had earlier threatened Gulf ports and airports if US strikes continued. The US has been striking Iranian targets, and Iran has launched missiles toward Jordan. The specific threat that triggered the Aqaba alert remains unconfirmed.
What remains unclear is the nature of the threat that prompted the US Embassy warning. The CEO's statement does not address the intelligence that led to the alert, and the security situation in Aqaba—and the potential spillover risk to Eilat—remains uncertain.
11 developments
- StrongReport: Jordan evacuates Aqaba port and airport over US threat; Jordan denies
- StrongJordanian sources deny US embassy's Aqaba evacuation report, Al Jazeera says
- StrongIsrael Airports Authority: 'no change' in guidelines, all airports operating as normal
- StrongAqaba Airport manager: No change to flight schedules after Iranian missile attack
Source and signal
- Internal intake