President Donald Trump said Monday that he asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to join the Abraham Accords together as he tries to negotiate an agreement to end the war with Iran, tying a fragile ceasefire effort to a wider push for normalization with Israel.
Trump Links Iran Talks To Accords
“I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that if Iran signs an agreement with him, it would be “an Honor” to include Tehran in what he called an “unparalleled World Coalition.” He cited “all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together.”
Trump said he spoke Saturday with leaders of those countries, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have already joined the accords. The agreements, launched during Trump’s first term, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states.
Pakistan Rejects Normalization Proposal
Reuters reported that Pakistan rejected the proposal. None of the other countries has publicly responded, and a positive response appears unlikely as public anger toward Israel remains high across many Muslim-majority nations over the scale of its military offensive in Gaza.
A Pakistani source familiar with the matter told the publication that Trump was trying to use Iran ceasefire diplomacy to revive a broader Abraham Accords push, but said the two issues were “not interlinked and cannot be made so.” The source added, “Pakistan is under no compulsion to adhere to any such demand.”
Trump said one or two countries may have reasons for staying out, but most should be “ready, willing, and able” to make any Iran settlement more historic.
Saudi Statehood Demand Remains Central
According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia remains the biggest prize. Recognition of Israel by the custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites would be a major diplomatic shift, but Riyadh has long said normalization depends on a credible path to Palestinian statehood. Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey already maintain relations with Israel, though ties have been strained during the Gaza war.
Meanwhile, Trump also said Iran talks were “proceeding nicely,” but gave no sign a deal was imminent. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) backed linking Iran diplomacy to regional normalization, saying it could create “a powerhouse for economic opportunity.”
Image via Shutterstock/ noamgalai
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