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The talk of redrawing the map of the Middle East is “nonsense”, and the sovereignty of every country in the region must be respected, Jordan’s Ambassador to India, Yousef Abdelghani, said at the India Today Conclave in Delhi on Friday.
He was responding to a question on calls for a redrawing of the map of the region, particularly after US President Donald Trump recently said Iran’s map would not remain the same after the war, and amid renewed discourse around the so-called “Greater Israel” project.
“Talk about changing the map of the Middle East is nonsense. We do sometimes hear it from neighbours about expansion. We stick with our sovereignty and the sovereignty of other Arab countries,” the Ambassador said.
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He stressed that the sovereignty of countries in the region must be upheld. “The sovereignty of Lebanon should be secured and respected, the sovereignty of Jordan should be secured and respected, and the sovereignty of Egypt should be secured and respected,” he said.
On calls for regime change in countries in the region, the envoy cautioned that such demands often lead to instability. “It is easy to say, but experience has taught us that chaos only brings more chaos,” he said.
Abdelghani noted that countries in the Middle East have historically coexisted peacefully as inclusive societies, but warned that some actors are attempting to manipulate this narrative by pushing for regime change.
“Millions of Jews have lived peacefully in the Arab world since the time of Moses. We have lived in harmony for a long time. Some now want to manipulate this and start talking about regime change and redrawing maps,” he said.
The Ambassador reiterated that such ideas should not be supported. “This is nonsense, and no country should support it,” he said.
He also warned that a destabilised Middle East would be detrimental to all countries.
“Anything can be achieved only through peaceful negotiations. Conflict leads to no man’s land and brings agony and hardship for people, not only in terms of energy and supply chains, but also in people-to-people connections,” he added.
Commenting on the US attack on an Iranian school that reportedly killed several children, Abdelghani said, “Some countries think they are above the law and can do whatever they want.”
The Jordanian envoy also criticised Iran’s use of its airspace to target Israel and Gulf countries, saying Jordan had already asked Tehran not to take such a step. He added that Jordan remains neutral in the conflict and has consistently called for solutions through peaceful negotiations.
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Published On:
Mar 13, 2026 13:10 IST
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