Jordan announces that it will be annulling part of its peace treaty with Israel

Jordan’s King Abdullah II announces that Amman will be pulling out of the part of its 1994 peace treaty with Israel that granted the Jewish state use of two small agricultural areas along the border that were part of the Hashemite Kingdom.

They include areas at Naharayim in the north and the Tzofar enclave in the southern Arava desert, both of which will now return to Jordanian hands within a year.

The legal ramifications of the decision are minimal, as the appendix to the treaty that granted Israel use of the areas included a renewal clause after 25 years, when both sides will have the option to abandon the deal. The 25th anniversary of the agreement is next year.

Along with the announcement, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry has sent a formal notice of the decision to the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.