Jordan foils 'Iran-backed' bomb attack

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An Iraqi man is appearing before a state security court Monday after Jordanian authorities said they disrupted a large scale "terrorist" attack on behalf of Iran's Quds Force.

The Jordanian authorities have foiled a "terrorist" attack and arrested an Iraqi man in possession of explosives said to have come from Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a judicial source said on Monday.  

"Security services thwarted a terrorist plan at the last minute which was going to be carried out by an Iraqi on behalf of Iran's Quds Force", the source told AFP, without providing further details.

The Iraqi-Norwegian suspect, Khaled al-Rabei (49), was arrested in possession of 45 kilos of explosives in the northern town of Jerash. 

The source did not say when he was detained.  

He is due before the state security court, which has banned media coverage of the trial, later on Monday, on charges of possessing explosive material and planning terrorist acts in Jordan on orders from Iranian Intelligence. 

According to the list of accusations, Rabei was also involved in other assassinations on behalf of Iranian Intelligence. 

Iran's Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of its Revolutionary Guards, is charged with carrying out missions abroad.  

Jordanian-Iranian relations, which are at a low ebb in any case,  are likely to worsen despite recent Iranian attempts to improve ties with Amman, such as offering energy deals and anti-terrorism cooperation.

Tehran is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has accused Jordan of aiding rebel groups fighting his forces in Syria.

Jordan is hosting a US-run programme to train Syrian rebels to fight against the Islamic State group and has said it was training some tribal groups in Syria.

There are fears that Jordan could become embroiled in the conflicts raging in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

The last major attack on Jordanian soil was in 2005 when suicide bombers blasted three hotels in Amman, killing and wounding dozens of people.