Jordan's King Abdullah Appoints Jafar Hassan as New Prime Minister

The appointment follows parliamentary elections with significant gains by the Islamist opposition amid economic and political challenges.

Jafar Hassan, a Harvard-educated technocrat and former planning minister, has been appointed as Jordan's new prime minister by King Abdullah II.
The appointment comes after the resignation of Bisher Khasawneh's government following the recent parliamentary elections.
The Islamic Action Front, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, won 31 out of 138 seats, the largest gain since 1989, reflecting public anger over the Gaza war.
Hassan faces the immediate challenges of addressing Jordan's struggling economy, high unemployment, and public discontent over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
King Abdullah retains most of the political power, including appointing the prime minister, despite ongoing plans to transition Jordan into a constitutional monarchy over the next decade.