Trump links expansion of Abraham Accords to Iran deal
The US president "mandatorily" asks Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan to normalize ties with Israel, but Islamabad rebuffs the demand, and other nations stay silent
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, as he seeks to negotiate an agreement to end the war with Iran.
Pakistan rejected the proposal, while none of the other countries publicly responded.
"I am mandatorily requesting that all countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He cited "all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together," and floated the idea of Iran itself eventually joining the accords.
A Pakistani source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Trump's statement reflected an attempt to use the Iran ceasefire diplomacy for a wider push around the accords but stressed that the two issues were "not interlinked and cannot be made so." The source added that "Pakistan is under no compulsion to adhere to any such demand."
According to an Axios report, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan were surprised by Trump's request during a call. "There was silence on the line, and Trump joked and asked if they were still there," one US official said, adding that Trump told the leaders his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would follow up in the coming weeks.
Longtime Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham embraced the idea of linking Iran to the accords, saying it would drive regional integration and create "a powerhouse for economic opportunity." Others were more skeptical.