Trump Says Iran Negotiations ‘Going Nicely’, Pushes Abraham Accords Expansion Across Gulf, Arab Countries | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump said on Monday (May 25th) that talks with Iran were “moving along nicely” and called for several Middle Eastern countries to join the Abraham Accords at the same time as part of a broader regional settlement.
Trump said in a lengthy post on Truth Social the proposed expansion of the accords could become “the most important deal” in the history of the region and suggested that even Iran could eventually be included.
“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a great deal for all or no deal at all,” Trump wrote.
He warned that a failure to reach an agreement could mean a return “to the battlefront and firing, but bigger and stronger than ever”.
Trump names Gulf officials and regional leaders
Trump said he discussed the proposal during talks with several leaders, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Pakistan’s army chief Shamed Mun Sasir.
He also mentioned King Abdullah II of Jordan. and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa among the leaders involved in the discussions.
According to Trump, the countries he wants to include in the agreements are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, noting that the UAE and Bahrain are already signatories.
“Mandatory” pressure to normalize
Trump he said it should be “mandatory” for countries involved in the Iran negotiations to join the Abraham Accords.
“It should start with Saudi Arabia and Qatar signing immediately, and everyone else should follow,” he said.
He added that countries that refuse to join “should not be part of this agreement because it shows bad intent.”
The Abraham Accords, brokered during Trump’s first term in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Later, Morocco and Sudan joined this framework.
Trump also incorrectly listed Kazakhstan as a member of the accords, although the Central Asian nation never formally joined the agreement.
Read also | Trump tells Netanyahu no deal with Iran without dismantling nuclear program: Report
Trump says Iran could join deals
In one of the most telling parts of the post, Trump suggested that Iran itself could eventually become part of the Abraham Accords if a deal is reached with Washington on nuclear energy.
“It would be an honor if they were also part of this unique global coalition,” Trump wrote.
He claimed that regional leaders had told him it would be “an honor” to welcome Iran into the framework once the deal was finalized.
Trump described the potential arrangement as a transformative geopolitical shift that could make the Middle East “united, powerful and economically strong.”
The Abraham Accords are central to Trump’s vision in the Middle East
The Abraham Accords remain a cornerstone of Trump’s Middle East policy platform. The agreements, first signed in 2020, established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab states, brokered by the US.
Trump claimed that the agreements had brought a “financial, economic and social BOOM” to the countries involved and claimed that none of the current members were considering leaving despite ongoing regional conflicts.
“The Middle East would be united, powerful and economically strong like no other region anywhere in the world!” he wrote
Read also | US-Iran deal ‘95% there’, talks continue on Hormuz, uranium stockpile