US President Donald Trump has suggested that progress on a potential deal with Iran could depend on more Middle Eastern countries joining the Abraham Accords, saying Washington may reconsider negotiations if key regional states refuse to sign on.
Speaking during discussions surrounding ongoing Iran negotiations, Trump said…
“I think those countries owe it to us. I’m not sure we should make the deal [with Iran] if they don’t sign. If they don’t sign to join the Abraham Accords.”
Trump specifically mentioned Saudi Arabia and Qatar while also referring to the United Arab Emirates. However, the UAE already signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 alongside Bahrain under a US brokered normalization agreement with Israel.
The Abraham Accords were introduced during Trump’s first presidency and aimed to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and several Muslim majority countries. In recent days, Trump has publicly pushed for additional nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and Turkey, to join the agreement framework as part of a broader regional strategy connected to Iran negotiations.
The remarks are expected to trigger debate across the Middle East, particularly as Saudi Arabia has repeatedly linked normalization with Israel to progress on Palestinian statehood. Qatar has also maintained a different diplomatic position regarding ties with Israel
