Trump Ties Abraham Accords Expansion to Iran Nuclear Deal
President Donald Trump has formally called on a broad group of Muslim-majority nations to join the Abraham Accords simultaneously, CNBC reported Monday, tying mass regional normalization with Israel directly to any prospective agreement with Iran.
Trump’s Mass Sign-On Demand
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said he had personally contacted leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey over the weekend. He framed immediate Abraham Accords membership as a mandatory request. The president added that Iran itself would be welcome inside the coalition once a final deal is struck. Trump described a potential collective agreement as a historic geopolitical realignment, citing extensive American diplomatic effort to assemble what he called a complex puzzle. He noted that one or two of the countries contacted may have reservations, but suggested most should be ready to proceed.
Also Read: What the Abraham Accords Actually Changed in the Middle East
Background: The Accords and Their Limits
The original Abraham Accords were brokered during Trump’s first White House term. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the normalization agreements in September 2020, ending a 25-year drought in Arab-Israeli diplomatic recognition. Morocco and Sudan joined later that year. The deals broke a longstanding Arab consensus that normalization with Israel required a Palestinian statehood deal first. Trump returned to office with ambitions to widen the framework significantly. Saudi Arabia, the most consequential potential signatory given its religious and political influence, has so far declined to move forward. Riyadh’s position has not shifted despite a Gaza ceasefire taking effect last year. Egypt and Jordan already maintain formal diplomatic ties with Israel, predating the Accords by decades.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia’s Stance on Israel Normalization Explained
Iran Talks: Progress Without a Timeline
Trump separately indicated that negotiations with Tehran were advancing but stopped well short of signaling any imminent agreement. His comments offered no specifics on the state of talks or outstanding issues. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had not responded to Trump’s Truth Social post at the time of CNBC’s report. The dual-track approach, pairing expanded normalization with a nuclear settlement, represents an escalation of Trump’s regional ambitions. Whether countries like Turkey and Pakistan, which have historically maintained closer ties with Palestinian leadership, will respond positively to a mandatory framing remains an open question for markets and analysts watching Middle East stability.
