Donald Trump has tied the prospect of an Iran peace deal to a sweeping demand that Arab nations and Pakistan formally recognise Israel, urging them to join the Abraham Accords as a prerequisite for regional stability.
He argued that such recognition would transform the settlement with Tehran into a historic breakthrough, while warning that refusal would signal “bad intention.”
The demand targeted Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan, as the remaining nations involved were already signatories to the Abraham Accords. He even claimed that Iran too would eventually be part of it. He insisted that Saudi Arabia and Qatar should lead the way, with others following suit, and suggested that even Iran could eventually join the framework once peace is achieved.
Donald Trump has escalated his diplomatic push by linking the end of the war with Iran to a broader regional realignment. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, he declared that Arab nations and Pakistan must sign the Abraham Accords, thereby normalising relations with Israel.
The Abraham Accords, first signed in 2020, established diplomatic ties between Israel and countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Trump now wants to expand this arrangement to include major players like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Pakistan.
He described this as a mandatory step, claiming that refusal to recognise Israel would undermine the credibility of any peace deal with Iran. According to him, recognition would not only strengthen regional stability but also reshape economic and security cooperation across the Middle East and South Asia.
Trump’s demand comes at a sensitive time. The war he launched alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn in several Arab states after Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes.
By tying recognition of Israel to the peace process, Trump is using the conflict as leverage to push through a diplomatic realignment that had stalled before the war. Saudi Arabia, for instance, had previously refused to consider normalisation without progress on Palestinian statehood and withdrawal from occupied territories. Pakistan, meanwhile, has long linked recognition of Israel to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, making Trump’s proposal politically contentious in Islamabad.
The US president argued that wider recognition of Israel would represent a major diplomatic breakthrough, transforming the Iran settlement into a historic event. He acknowledged that one or two nations might have reasons not to participate, but insisted that most should be “ready, willing, and able” to join.
He warned that those refusing would not be part of the deal, as it would show “bad intention.” Trump also suggested that Iran itself could eventually sign the accords, which he said would be an honour.
The proposal has sparked debate among regional observers. Critics note that Trump’s approach risks alienating countries that remain deeply opposed to normalisation without concessions to the Palestinians.
Pakistan’s silence on the matter reflects the domestic sensitivity of the issue, while Saudi Arabia’s leadership faces pressure from both conservative clerics and a younger generation more open to change. Iran, for its part, has dismissed the idea of joining accords that legitimise Israel, though Trump’s insistence underscores his belief that economic and diplomatic pressure can reshape the region.
This latest move highlights Trump’s strategy of using the Iran conflict as a catalyst for broader geopolitical transformation. By demanding recognition of Israel, he is attempting to force Arab nations and Pakistan into a new alignment that could redefine the Middle East’s balance of power. Whether this gambit succeeds remains uncertain, but it underscores his determination to link peace with Iran to a wider diplomatic revolution.
Agencies
