President Donald Trump recently declared that a deal with Iran is “largely negotiated.” As a liberal Muslim scholar from the Middle East who was forced to flee Egypt after defending Israel following Oct. 7, 2023, I know exactly what that declaration is worth without the Arab world’s full commitment behind it: very little.There is an old Arab proverb: “Trust in God, but tie your camel.” The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan would do well to remember it now. The framework under discussion includes a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a commitment from Iran to never pursue nuclear weapons and negotiate a suspension of its enrichment program. Iran, predictably, is already hedging on what those commitments mean.A bilateral U.S. deal that allows Arab states to remain passive bystanders is not a breakthrough. It is an opportunity squandered.
TRUMP IRAN DEAL: IT’S NOT A VICTORY IF THE REGIME SURVIVES
Trump recently spoke with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan, and later publicly asked them to sign on to the Abraham Accords simultaneously with any Iran agreement. Saudi Arabia has previously stated it would not normalize relations with Israel without an “irreversible pathway” to Palestinian statehood. Qatar, which spent years hosting Hamas’s political leadership while positioning itself as an indispensable mediator, is resisting as well.
