Details
- Trump said Saudi Arabia and Qatar should be first to join an expanded Abraham Accords framework, with Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan also named in his appeal.
- The Abraham Accords are U.S.-backed agreements launched during Trump’s first term to normalise relations between Israel and Arab or Muslim-majority countries.
- The proposal is diplomatically complicated because Turkey has recognised Israel since 1949, while Egypt and Jordan already have peace treaties with Israel.
- Trump also said Iran could join the framework if it signs an agreement with Washington, though analysts said such a move is unlikely given Tehran’s official position on Israel.
- The push comes as U.S. and Iranian officials discuss a possible framework to extend a ceasefire by 60 days while negotiating a wider accord.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had a “solid” proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and beginning time-limited nuclear talks, but said Iran’s response could take time.
- Iran’s foreign ministry said progress had been made, but denied that an agreement was imminent. Senior Iranian negotiators also travelled to Doha for further talks.
- Republican senators Ted Cruz, Roger Wicker and Lindsey Graham warned against any deal that leaves Iran with money, uranium enrichment capacity or leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
- Trump pushed back against critics, saying they did not know the details of the potential Iran deal because key terms had not yet been negotiated.
- Analysts said a major Abraham Accords expansion is unlikely while conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon keep regional tensions high. Saudi Arabia has also long said it will not normalise ties with Israel without progress toward a Palestinian state.
What Else
Trump’s normalization push may help him sell a possible Iran deal to Republican hawks, but it also adds another difficult layer to already fragile talks over the Strait of Hormuz, a ceasefire and Iran’s nuclear program. The next test is whether Iran accepts the proposed framework, and whether Saudi Arabia or Qatar respond to Trump’s public call for wider recognition of Israel.
