Jordan appoints Majdi al-Harasis as new army chief

Jordan on Wednesday appointed Maj. Gen. Majdi al-Harasis as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding Gen. Yousef Huneiti, who retired after nearly seven years in the post.

A royal decree appointed Harasis to the position, effective Sept. 2.

A separate decree promoted Harasis from brigadier general to major general.

Two other royal decrees promoted Huneiti to the rank of general and placed him in retirement.

In a letter to Harasis, King Abdullah tasked the new army chief with continuing efforts to restructure Jordan’s armed forces and strengthen their ability to address challenges and threats with the highest levels of efficiency.

Huneiti had served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since July 2019, becoming the first officer from the Royal Jordanian Air Force to hold the position.