AMMAN, July 19 — Jordanian authorities on Sunday denied an earlier claim by the U.S. Embassy in Amman that the airport and seaport in southernmost Jordan’s coastal city of Aqaba had been evacuated due to a security threat, saying both facilities are operating normally.
Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Al Momani said in a statement that the relevant authorities had not issued any decisions to evacuate the airport or the seaport, adding that Jordanian authorities will issue alerts in accordance with established procedures, including emergency sirens if needed.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. embassy issued a security alert saying Aqaba’s airport and seaport had been evacuated due to a “specific and credible threat,” urging Americans to avoid traveling to the sites until further notice.
The embassy also renewed its warning for Americans to avoid military bases in Jordan.
The U.S. alert came a day after the U.S. Central Command said that two U.S. service members stationed in Jordan were killed in Iranian airstrikes on Friday, and that one service member remains missing.
Over the past days, the Middle East region is witnessing rising tensions, as the United States and Iran have traded rounds of attacks. The United States has conducted eight waves of strikes on Iranian targets, while Iran has responded by striking U.S. bases and facilities in several Gulf countries. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
