Jacquelyn Martin
World

Trump pushes Muslim, Arab nations to join Abraham Accords as part of Iran deal

The Abraham Accords were a series of diplomatic agreements signed in 2020 to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab nations

US President Donald Trump on Monday pushed for several Muslim and Arab nations to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader regional settlement tied to the potential deal with Tehran, while noting that the negotiations with the Islamic Republic were "proceeding nicely." In a very lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said the proposed arrangement could become a "Historic Event" for the Middle East and called on countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords. "Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all," Trump wrote, warning that failure to reach an agreement could mean "Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before."

Trump asserted that Saudi Arabia and Qatar should immediately join the accords after a deal is reached with Iran and said other countries should follow. He further suggested that Iran itself could eventually become part of the framework if a deal with the United States is successfully concluded. According to Trump, the Abraham Accords had delivered a "Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM" to existing members, which he listed as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and Kazakhstan. "The Abraham Accords have been great for them, and will be even better for everybody, and bring true Power, Strength, and Peace to the Middle East," he stated in his post. "In speaking to numerous of the Great Leaders mentioned above, they would be honored, as soon as our Document is signed, to have the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of the Abraham Accords," he added.

Trump stated that the matter followed his discussion with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, among others. Calling it potentially "the most important Deal" in the region's history, Trump said he had instructed his representatives to begin the process of expanding the Abraham Accords to additional nations. The Abraham Accords are landmark US-mediated agreements signed in 2020 that led to the normalisation of diplomatic, economic and security ties between Israel and multiple Arab countries.

Earlier, Axios, citing two US officials, reported that Trump held the discussion with leaders from several Arab and Muslim-majority countries during a conference call on Saturday, explicitly stating that once the war with Iran concludes, he wants more nations to recognise Israel and formally join the Abraham Accords. According to Axios, the insistence triggered a brief silence on the call, particularly from the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, none of which possess formal diplomatic relations with Israel.