U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred fresh debate in Middle East diplomacy by attaching a tough new condition to any future nuclear agreement with Iran. According to Trump, if Iran wants to be part of a new nuclear deal, several key Muslim-majority nations must first sign the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.
Speaking on Monday, Trump said he made the demand directly during a recent phone call with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, and Jordan. His message was clear: if Iran is to remain part of a broader regional agreement, neighboring Muslim nations must take concrete steps toward diplomatic normalization with Israel.
Leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also participated in the discussion. Both countries signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, becoming the first Arab states in decades to formally establish ties with Israel under a U.S.-brokered agreement.
In a Memorial Day post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that after the extensive diplomatic effort invested by the United States, “it should now be expected that all countries join the Abraham Accords together.” He added that there may be “one or two reasonable exceptions,” but said the broader expectation remains unchanged.
Trump’s most surprising remark came when he suggested that Iran itself could eventually join the Abraham Accords—an idea that would have been considered unthinkable given nearly five decades of hostility between Tehran and Jerusalem.
“If Iran signs this deal with me,” Trump wrote, “it would be an honor to welcome them into this unprecedented global alliance.”
Whether Israel would accept such a proposal remains unclear.
The Abraham Accords were first signed in September 2020 by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Morocco and Sudan later joined the agreement, which was widely seen as one of the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in recent years. Since then, Trump has repeatedly pushed for Saudi Arabia to become part of the pact.
However, Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations have consistently maintained that full normalization with Israel cannot happen without a credible resolution to the Palestinian issue. Before Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, Saudi officials had hinted that normalization was moving forward, but Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has sharply complicated that path.
Meanwhile, a senior Trump administration official said over the weekend that negotiations with Iran are now “about 95 percent complete,” claiming both sides have agreed on most major elements of a broader peace framework.
Still, Trump cautioned against rushing the process. He said he has instructed his negotiating team to move carefully.
“Either we get a great deal for everyone, or there will be no deal at all,” Trump said. “And if that happens, we risk returning to an even more dangerous confrontation—something nobody wants.”
Trump’s latest position is already triggering intense international debate, with analysts warning it could reshape not only U.S.-Iran relations but the broader diplomatic balance across the Middle East.
