Despite occasional differences—particularly over the Palestinian issue and increasing ambitions in the Persian Gulf—the relationship remained fundamentally cordial until the 1979 Revolution. The fall of the Shah ended this era of strategic partnership, as the new Islamic Republic rejected most of the Shah’s alliances, including the close relationship with Jordan’s monarchy. The Pahlavi dynasty (1925–1979) and the Hashemite monarchy in Jordan (established in 1946) were two of the Middle East’s most pro-Western and anti-communist governments throughout the Cold War.
This shared environment encouraged a pragmatic and sometimes deeply cooperative relationship. Both leaders viewed Nasser’s pan-Arabism as a threat. Though not an Arab state, feared Nasser’s influence in the Persian Gulf; King Hussein faced direct destabilization efforts by Nasser-backed groups within Jordan. The Shah quietly supported Hussein politically and diplomatically during crises linked to Arab nationalist movements, often urging Western allies to back the Hashemite kingdom.
