WASHINGTON — President Trump claimed Monday that he had demanded the leaders of seven Muslim nations join the Abraham Accords if they want to be part of the Iran nuclear deal, which he said is “proceeding nicely!”
The president said he told the heads of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, and Bahrain during a Saturday call that he wants those countries to normalize relations with Israel by agreeing to the 2020 US-brokered accords.
“I stated that, 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 recounted on Truth Social in a Memorial Day post.
The UAE and Bahrain were the first two nations to sign on to the Abraham Accords in September 2020, later joined by Morocco that December and Sudan the following January.
“It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be,” added Trump, saying that he was “mandatorily requesting” the concession.
“If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention.”
Trump even suggested that Iran could join the Abraham Accords, which would amount to an extraordinary breakthrough given nearly five decades of hostilities between Tehran and Jerusalem. It was not immediately clear whether Israel would accept normalizing relations with the Islamic Republic.
“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. Wow, now that would be something special!” Trump declared in the post.
“[I]f 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.”
Throughout his presidency, Trump has sought to push Saudi Arabia into normalizing relations with Israel, reportedly having tense discussions about the topic last year with Riyadh Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudis and other Arab nations have insisted that the Palestinian issue be resolved before full normalization with Israel is achieved.
Before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on the Jewish state, the Saudi crown prince repeatedly signaled that his country was moving in that direction.
But Israel’s ground war in Gaza has inflamed tensions with the Jewish state’s Arab neighbors.
The Trump administration is trying to iron out a “broad template” of a peace plan with Iran, with a senior official claiming Sunday the sides were about 95% of the way there.
After speculation mounted over the weekend that a deal was imminent, Trump publicly stressed that he told his team not to “rush” into it.
“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!” the president added in his Truth post.
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