Trump says 'mandatory' for Muslim nations involved in Iran deal to join Abraham Accords

Key Points:

• Former US President Donald Trump insisted that six Muslim-majority countries—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan—join the Abraham Accords normalization agreements with Israel before any US-Iran deal to end the war is finalized, stating negotiations with Iran are “proceeding nicely.”
• Trump emphasized that signing the Abraham Accords should be mandatory for these countries to participate in any Iran deal, suggesting that refusal would indicate “bad intention,” while also proposing that Iran itself could eventually join the accords after a deal is reached.
• The Abraham Accords, initially signed in 2020 by the UAE and Bahrain and later joined by Morocco and Sudan, have been promoted by Trump as a significant economic and social success, and he called for an expanded coalition to create a “United, Powerful, and Economically Strong” Middle East.
• Key countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have historically conditioned normalization with Israel on the establishment of a Palestinian state, a stance that complicates Trump’s push for their immediate accession to the accords, and US officials reported silence from leaders when Trump raised the issue.
• Israeli officials have expressed concerns over the emerging US-Iran deal, fearing it does not adequately address Iran’s nuclear and missile programs or regional proxy support, potentially allowing Iran time to strengthen economically and militarily, which could undermine Israel’s security interests.