US president Donald Trump reportedly told leaders of several Arab and other Muslim countries during a conference call at the weekend that if a deal to end the Iran war is achieved, then he wants their nations to sign peace agreements with Israel.Trump told the leaders that after the war with Iran, he expects all of them who are still not part of the Abraham Accords – an initiative to normalise ties with Israel pushed by Trump during his first term in 2020 – or do not have peace agreements with Israel to join and normalise relations with the Jewish state, Axios reported.What was the reaction of Arab and Muslim states?The leaders, especially those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan who do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, were surprised by Trump’s request. “There was silence on the line, and Trump joked and asked if they are still there,” a US officials told Axios.Most Arab and Muslim countries refuse to accede to the accords.In a follow-up social media post on Monday, Trump said Saudi Arabia and Qatar should immediately sign and Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey should follow suit, calling his request “mandatory”.Who has signed up to the Abraham Accords?In 2020 Trump mediated these accords, which were named for the ancient patriarch Abraham who is regarded as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain became the first Arab countries to join and recognise Israel after Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan subsequently agreed to normalise relations with Israel.Why is Trump pushing for more countries to sign peace deals with Israel?Trump is under pressure from Iran hawks including Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who argue the emerging peace deal with Iran concedes too much to Tehran. The US president’s call for more countries to join the Abraham Accords could help ease those concerns, though Saudi Arabia and Qatar have said they will not normalise ties with Israel without progress toward Palestinian statehood.What is public opinion in these countries towards normalising ties with Israel?Saudi, Arab and Muslim public opinion overwhelmingly rejects relations with Israel. According to the 2025 Arab Opinion Index published by the Arab Centre in Washington, DC, 87 per cent of respondents to a survey conducted across the Arab world refuse relations with Israel, while only 6 per cent is in favour. Why has Trump focused on recruiting Saudi Arabia?Trump could claim a major foreign policy triumph as this would be a historic deal even if only between Israel and Saudi Arabia’s rulers. The Saudi public strongly favours resolving the Palestinian issue before diplomatic engagement with Israel. What is the Saudi position on normalising ties with Israel?The Saudis were prime movers of the 2002 Arab plan that called for Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territory occupied in 1967 – East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and the Syrian Golan – in exchange for peace and normalisation.