Trump Ties Iran Deal to Abraham Accords Push

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President Donald Trump is pressing several Muslim-majority nations to sign the Abraham Accords as part of a broader effort to reach a deal with Iran. The move has drawn a mix of praise from allies and skepticism from regional officials and analysts.

Trump made his position clear in a post on Truth Social, calling on six nations to normalize relations with Israel as a condition of joining any regional agreement. “After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.

Countries Named by Trump

The nations Trump named in his appeal include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan. He also said he planned to speak with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both of which already signed the original Abraham Accords in 2020.

Several of the countries Trump listed, including Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey, already maintain existing diplomatic ties with Israel. That detail has raised questions among some analysts about the scope and intent of the president’s proposal.

Trump also floated the idea that Iran itself could eventually become part of the Abraham Accords. “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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

What the Abraham Accords Are

The Abraham Accords were brokered during Trump’s first term in 2020. The agreements normalized diplomatic and economic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

Supporters of the accords point to measurable outcomes since their signing. Israeli-UAE trade more than doubled in the agreements’ first five years, and tourism between the two countries increased sharply. Conservatives have long described the accords as one of Trump’s most significant foreign policy achievements, particularly after decades of failed peace efforts in the region.

The Trump administration has framed an expansion of the accords as a way to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East while deepening economic and security cooperation among U.S. allies. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the push, saying the accords have already generated “massive economic benefits” and “historic cooperation” among nations that signed them.

Resistance and Skepticism

Not all countries have welcomed the proposal. Pakistan quickly rejected the idea, with Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif saying that joining the accords would conflict with Pakistan’s “fundamental views.”

Saudi Arabia has also repeatedly stated that any normalization with Israel depends on meaningful progress toward Palestinian statehood. Qatar has similarly resisted joining, in part due to ongoing tensions tied to the war in Gaza and broad public opposition across the Muslim world.

Reuters reported that public distrust of Israel remains high throughout much of the Muslim-majority world, particularly in the wake of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Those dynamics have complicated the Trump administration’s push for expanded Arab-Israeli normalization.

Some analysts also questioned the link between the Abraham Accords and Iran negotiations. Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, told The New York Times he was puzzled by the connection. “What’s the connection between a deal with Iran and that? I’m honestly puzzled,” he said.

Some analysts believe Trump’s public call was partly aimed at a domestic political audience rather than at reshaping Middle East diplomacy outright. Politico reported that Gulf officials privately viewed the demand as an effort to reassure Republican Iran hawks who were concerned Trump might offer too many concessions in ongoing negotiations with Tehran.

Despite that reading, Trump’s Republican allies have rallied behind the idea. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the concept “simply brilliant,” arguing that connecting Iran diplomacy to Abraham Accords expansion could strengthen Israel’s long-term security and unlock new economic opportunities across the region.

U.S. and Israeli officials do not expect the UAE to take further action on expanding the accords until after Israel’s elections in September, according to Fox News.

Broader Regional Implications

The New York Post noted that every nation that has normalized relations with Israel through the accords has seen economic and diplomatic benefits, while nations that have remained hostile to Israel have faced continued instability. The post argued that joining the accords is the most practical path for the named countries to secure their own futures independent of U.S. involvement.

Trump’s administration has maintained that broadening Arab-Israeli normalization remains essential to lasting regional peace. The president has continued to argue that expanding the accords can help stabilize the Middle East by reducing Iranian influence and building stronger ties among American allies in the region.

Kazakhstan has also recently moved toward joining the accords, with Trump saying more nations are lining up to participate. Negotiations over a potential Iran nuclear agreement remain ongoing, and the administration has said the two tracks, the Iran deal and the Abraham Accords expansion, are connected parts of a larger regional settlement.

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