Trump pushes Arab states to join Abraham Accords before US Iran deal

The US president links broader regional normalization to ongoing negotiations with Tehran, urging multiple Muslim-majority countries to sign the Abraham Accords

US President Donald Trump has urged six Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords—normalization agreements with Israel—before any final US Iran deal to end the war, insisting that ongoing negotiations with Tehran “are going well.”

The remarks mark his second attempt in as many days to tie the emerging framework with Iran to the broader diplomatic architecture of the Abraham Accords, originally signed in September 2020 by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and later joined by Morocco and Sudan.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran were progressing and reiterated his longstanding position that any outcome would be either “a great deal for everyone” or no agreement at all. He also repeated his warning that failure would mean a return to conflict “bigger and stronger than ever.”

According to Trump, he told Arab and Muslim leaders that the United States’ effort to “reassemble this very complex puzzle” should require simultaneous accession to the Abraham Accords. He said the expansion should begin with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, followed by others including Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, while also referencing discussions with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The White House did not clarify why Egypt and Jordan were included among potential new signatories, given their long-standing peace agreements with Israel dating back decades. Turkey’s relationship with Israel, meanwhile, has fluctuated between cooperation and prolonged diplomatic strain.

Reporting by Axios first highlighted Trump’s remarks, noting that leaders contacted by the US president reportedly responded with silence.

In his post, Trump also argued that countries unwilling to join should not be included in any broader arrangement involving Iran, framing non-participation as evidence of “bad intentions.” He added that while exceptions might apply to one or two states, most should be prepared to take part in what he described as a potentially historic diplomatic moment.

Among the countries cited, Saudi Arabia is widely viewed as the most significant potential addition to the Abraham Accords. Diplomatic efforts under both Trump and former President Joe Biden have sought to bring Riyadh into the framework.

Saudi Arabia has consistently stated that normalization with Israel remains contingent on progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state, a position firmly rejected by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pakistan has also maintained it will not recognize Israel without Palestinian statehood, while Qatar has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel despite its role as a key US partner and mediator in Gaza-related negotiations.

Trump also suggested that Iran itself could “possibly” join the Abraham Accords once a deal is reached, expanding the framework beyond its original scope of Israel-Arab normalization.

The president further argued that expanding the accords had already delivered economic and political benefits to participating states and urged rapid signing of new agreements, describing the initiative as a transformative regional project.

He added that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been tasked with advancing discussions on expanding participation in the accords, as negotiations with Iran continue in parallel.

The initiative comes as discussions over a US Iran deal remain politically sensitive, with reports indicating concerns in Israel that any emerging framework may not sufficiently address Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs or its regional alliances.

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