Jordan publicly backed Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War (See 1980, Sept. 22). Throughout the 1980s, Jordan benefited immensely from its economic ties with Iraq. In particular, Jordan's port of Aqaba served Iraq as a vital outlet to the outside world.
Jordan formally agreed to sever all legal and administrative links with the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The move paved the way for Jordanian recognition of the PLO's ambition to set up an independent Palestinian state in the region.
