Days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke about progress on an Iran nuclear agreement, United States President Donald Trump has thrown in a fresh condition. He now wants Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, to join the Abraham Accords as part of any deal.
This comes on top of an already long list of conditions that includes keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, Iran abandoning uranium enrichment entirely, and Tehran receiving no compensation for losses suffered during the conflict.
What Are the Abraham Accords?
The Abraham Accords were first signed in 2020, during Trump’s first term in office. They are a set of US-brokered agreements under which several Muslim-majority nations agreed to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel. The UAE and Bahrain signed up at the time, with Morocco, Sudan and Kazakhstan joining later.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Monday, the Republican president said he had spoken to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. He told them that, given everything Washington had put into trying to bring this complicated situation together, it ought to be compulsory for all these countries to sign the Abraham Accords at the very minimum, and to do so at the same time.
“The Abraham Accords have proven to be, for the Countries involved (The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan), a Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM, even during this time of Conflict and War, with the current Members never even suggesting leaving or taking so much as even a pause,” Trump said.
He singled out Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the countries that should move first. “It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit,” he added.
In 2025, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Trump that the kingdom was open to joining the Abraham Accords, as long as there was “a clear path” toward a two-state solution.
Trump also extended the invitation to Iran itself, should it reach an agreement with Washington. “Therefore, I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition,” he said.
He also warned, “It will only be a Great Deal for all or no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that.”
Rubio Had Suggested A Deal Was Close
The new demand came shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio had given reporters reason for optimism. Speaking during a visit to New Delhi, Rubio indicated a deal might have been possible within hours.
“We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today,” he said, adding that there appeared to be a solid proposal on the table regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Cools Expectations
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei acknowledged that negotiators had made headway on a considerable portion of the issues under discussion, but cautioned against reading too much into that progress.
“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion,” he told a weekly news briefing. “But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent — no one can make such a claim.”
US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since 8 April while both sides work towards negotiating a deal. However, Iran has continued to maintain control over Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and the US Navy has been seeking to blockade Iranian ports.
