President Trump is tying the fate of a US-Iran deal to a much broader diplomatic demand: that a slate of Muslim-majority nations establish formal relations with Israel.
On May 25, Trump posted on Truth Social that these countries must “simultaneously” sign the Abraham Accords as part of any agreement with Tehran. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are being pushed to lead the way, with Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan expected to follow.
The conference call that set it off
Two days before that Truth Social post, on May 23, Trump held a conference call with representatives from eight nations: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain. The message, by all accounts, was blunt. These countries should join the Abraham Accords “immediately.”
The UAE and Bahrain are already signatories. They normalized relations with Israel in 2020 during Trump’s first term, alongside Sudan and Morocco.
