Trump Presses Saudi Arabia, Qatar to Join Israel Accords for Iran Deal
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 25
Trump Presses Saudi Arabia, Qatar to Join Israel Accords for Iran Deal
13 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 25
Trump said Monday that Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar should normalize ties with Israel or risk exclusion from a future Iran deal, extending a demand he tied to weekend negotiations.
His push folds expansion of the Abraham Accords into the emerging settlement with Tehran and could help ease criticism from Republican Iran hawks uneasy about the deal’s contours.
Analysts say the proposal is unlikely to gain traction because several targeted states have long attached conditions to recognizing Israel, and the Gaza war has further damaged the diplomatic climate.
Trump’s latest list also included Egypt and Jordan, which already recognize Israel, underscoring how difficult broader regional buy-in remains even as his administration revives a first-term diplomatic framework.
Beyond the Iran deal, what are the hidden costs for nations pressured to join this US-led security alliance?
Will expanding the Abraham Accords forge lasting peace or just draw new battle lines across the volatile Middle East?