The Syrian authorities announced the closure of the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Tuesday, and the suspension of passenger traffic and commercial exchange in both directions, after Jordanian air strikes targeted areas in southern Syria and sparked a dispute between the two countries regarding prior coordination.
The crossing, known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, is a main route for travelers and goods between the two countries, and a broader land link between Syria and the Gulf states.
The Syrian General Authority of Ports and Customs said that the decision to close the crossing on Tuesday, October 27, came in light of “the current conditions and field developments” in Daraa Governorate, and out of concern for the safety of travelers and workers there.
The decision includes a complete suspension of passenger and commercial traffic in both directions. In its announcement, the Authority did not specify a date for reopening the crossing.
The announcement came after air strikes launched by Jordan, on Monday evening, on sites in the Daraa and Suwayda countryside, southern Syria, which it said targeted gunmen linked to the attack that took place on Friday on a church in the Jordanian Karak Governorate, which resulted in the deaths of nine people.
The Jordanian Minister of Government Communications, Muhammad al-Momani, said that preliminary results indicate that more than 20 ISIS members were killed and an ISIS weapons depot was destroyed.
On the other hand, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the raids killed seven civilians, including three children and a woman, while SANA quoted a health official in Daraa that the death toll reached eight. Momani expressed his country's regret for the civilian casualties.
The operation sparked a dispute between the two countries, as the Jordanian army said that it was carried out in coordination with Damascus, while the Syrian authorities said that they did not receive coordination or prior notification, and considered the raids a violation of their sovereignty.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that it is working in coordination with Jordan to form a joint field and security committee to control the borders and prevent the recurrence of what it described as violations. For his part, Momani said that Jordan will work with Syria to form a joint committee to follow up on the repercussions of the operation.
The Nassib crossing is located in Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, on the border with Jordan, and is opposite the Jaber crossing on the Jordanian side. This is why it is sometimes referred to as the Nassib-Jaber crossing.
The crossing is located on a major international road linking Syria to Jordan, and extending south towards the Gulf states. It is used for the transit of passengers and trucks loaded with goods. Nassib is the only crossing currently operating for passenger and trade movement between the two countries.
As for the old crossing between Daraa and Ramtha, known locally as “Old Customs,” it has been out of service for years after being damaged during the war, and the Syrian authorities say they are working to create a new, alternative crossing point.
For years, the Nassib-Jaber crossing formed part of a regional land route through which goods passed between the Levant and Gulf countries. Trucks were transporting goods from Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey towards the south, while trucks loaded with goods from Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf states passed through it towards the north, according to the World Bank.
The bank says that the closure of the crossing in 2015, during the Syrian war, led to the cessation of a major transit trade route for Jordan, and affected trade movement in the region. There is a Jordanian-Syrian free zone near the crossing, which was established to facilitate trade and investment, and provided job opportunities for Syrians and Jordanians, according to the Middle East Institute in Washington.
The official Syrian news agency, SANA, reported that about 2.2 million passengers crossed the crossing during the first half of 2026, making it among the most active Syrian land crossings. This number likely refers to the number of crossings, rather than the number of different people who used the crossing.
A share of travelers heading to Saudi Arabia pass through Jordan, especially during the Umrah season, according to the agency. The crossing also constitutes a route for the return of Syrians from Jordan. SANA reported that more than 24,000 Syrians returned voluntarily through Nassib during the first half of 2026.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 178,000 Syrian refugees registered with it returned from Jordan to Syria between December 8, 2024 and December 31, 2025.
The Nassib-Jaber crossing witnessed repeated closures and disturbances, especially since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. In April 2015, Jordan closed the Jaber crossing as battles approached the border and Syrian opposition factions took control of the Nassib crossing. The closure continued for more than three years, until the Syrian army, under former President Bashar al-Assad, regained control of the region, and the crossing was reopened on October 15, 2018.
But the resumption of work did not immediately return trade to pre-war levels. The Carnegie Center says that the economic recovery on the border was short-lived, due to the deterioration of the Syrian economy and the tightening of sanctions on Syria in 2020.
