US President Donald Trump has urged leaders of several Arab and Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords and normalise relations with Israel if an agreement to end the ongoing conflict with Iran is reached, according to US officials familiar with the discussions.
The request reportedly came during a conference call recently involving leaders from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, where discussions focused on a possible framework to end the Iran war.
According to US officials, Trump told the leaders that once the conflict with Iran is resolved, he expects countries that do not yet have formal ties with Israel to join the Abraham Accords and establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
The Abraham Accords, first introduced during Trump’s previous administration, led to normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, including the UAE and Bahrain.
Officials familiar with the call said some leaders, particularly from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, were surprised by Trump’s request, with a brief silence reportedly following the proposal before Trump jokingly asked whether participants were still on the line.
Trump later said his advisers, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, would continue discussions on the issue in the coming weeks.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump thanked Middle Eastern countries for their support and expressed hope that more nations would join the Abraham Accords in the future. He also floated the possibility of Iran eventually joining the framework, despite Tehran’s longstanding refusal to recognise Israel.
US Senator Lindsey Graham publicly supported Trump’s proposal, describing potential expansion of the Abraham Accords as one of the most significant developments in Middle East history if achieved.
However, major obstacles remain. Saudi Arabia has previously indicated willingness to normalise ties with Israel but continues to insist on a clear and irreversible pathway toward the establishment of a Palestinian state - a condition currently rejected by Israel’s government.
Analysts and officials believe any breakthrough on Saudi-Israeli normalisation is unlikely before Israel’s upcoming elections and the formation of a new government.
