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Some say Trump is just appeasing domestic political players.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looks at a framed photo of President Donald Trump as he walks down the Colonnade on the way to the Oval Office on Nov. 18, 2025. | AFP via Getty Images/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds
President Donald Trump’s demand that more Muslim-majority countries join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel as part of efforts to end the Iran war is being met by officials in such countries with laughter, dismissal and, often, silence.
Trump’s idea, should he stick to it, could endanger a U.S.-Iran peace deal — governments may walk away from mediating talks rather than risk angering their publics by establishing ties with Israel. But some Middle Eastern officials aren’t taking Trump’s demand too seriously, saying they view it as merely the U.S. president trying to appease hawkish Republicans who worry he will give away too much in talks with Iran.
