Trump's Abraham Accords Push Tangles Iran Peace Try

Among the countries Trump named, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Egypt and Jordan already recognized Israel through separate peace agreements in 1979 and 1994. Turkey recognized Israel in 1949, although its relations with Israel have sharply deteriorated and bilateral trade was suspended over the Gaza war.

So far, no other country besides Pakistan has publicly responded to Trump's demand. According to a US official cited by Axios, leaders on the call, especially those from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, appeared stunned. The official said there was silence on the line, prompting Trump to joke and ask whether they were still there.

Saudi Arabia's position remains especially important. After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire last October, Trump again suggested that Riyadh join the accords.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later said Saudi Arabia was open to joining, but only if there was a clear path toward Palestinian sovereignty. Israel's far-right government, however, opposes both Palestinian sovereignty and a two-state solution.

Trump has failed to force Iran's unconditional surrender and is now trying to tie regional peace to a fragile diplomatic process that does not address the root causes of the conflict.

The challenge is also linked to Israel's position. Israel supported the Abraham Accords in 2020, but it has been critical of reported progress toward a peace deal with Iran. Israeli officials insist that Tehran must dismantle its nuclear program to end the war.

Iran, meanwhile, maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes and has resisted demands to abandon its enriched uranium stockpile. Netanyahu recently posted an AI-generated image of himself and Trump with the message that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

Washington wants Iran to give up enriched uranium. Iranian state-linked media says nuclear issues should be handled in later talks, while Tehran wants frozen assets released and US sanctions lifted. Iran also says the Strait of Hormuz will remain under its management.

The bigger risk is that regional military activity could undermine diplomacy. Netanyahu has announced intensified strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah despite a nominal cease-fire. Iran has said any peace agreement must also include Lebanon.

If Israel continues operations there, Iran may see little reason to accept a US-backed agreement, especially without firm guarantees against further Israeli attacks.

Trump appears to hope that the promise of wider normalization and economic cooperation can stabilize the region and bring Israel into a longer-lasting peace arrangement. Yet his approach also risks overloading an already fragile negotiation.

By tying the Iran deal to recognition of Israel, he is asking countries with deep political, ideological and public-opinion constraints to make a major concession at a moment of war, anger and uncertainty.

The result is a high-risk diplomatic gamble. Trump wants a historic settlement that links Iran, Israel and the wider Muslim world into one grand bargain. But without addressing the Palestinian question, Iran's security concerns, Israel's military posture and regional public sentiment, the plan may deepen resistance rather than produce peace.