Trump mandates Abraham Accords expansion as condition for Iran ceasefire
Washington insists Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan must join the Israel-brokered pacts, complicating ongoing diplomatic talks in Doha.
US President Donald Trump has declared that any agreement to end the war with Iran must include a mandatory requirement for additional nations to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered framework normalising ties with Israel. The stipulation, announced via social media on Monday, 26 May 2026, ties the conclusion of peace negotiations to the expansion of the accords to include Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan.
The announcement coincided with a significant escalation in military activity, as US forces conducted 'self-defence' strikes on Iranian missile sites and vessels in southern Iran earlier that day. The attacks occurred as Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for high-stakes talks aimed at ending the three-month conflict. Trump, who was in Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the time, stated that negotiations were "proceeding nicely" but insisted that the final deal required simultaneous signature from the specified countries.
The proposal introduces a complex diplomatic hurdle, particularly for Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, both of which maintain that normalisation with Israel requires a clear and established path to Palestinian statehood. While Trump indicated he would accept "one or two" countries declining to sign, he emphasised that the majority of the listed nations must participate. He also suggested that Iran itself could eventually sign the accords should a broader agreement be reached.
The move has drawn immediate criticism from fellow Republicans who favour a harder line on Iran, adding internal political pressure to the administration's negotiating position. Analysts note that the invocation of the Abraham Accords adds a "new dimension" to the diplomatic process, as the issue was not previously on the agenda for the Iran talks. Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, remarked that while the diplomatic track remains active, the domestic pressure on Trump to secure a deal is evident.
The Abraham Accords were originally established during Trump’s first term between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, later joined by Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan. Egypt and Jordan already hold formal peace treaties with Israel, while Turkey recognised the state in 1949. Following the US strikes and the announcement, oil prices fell below US$100 a barrel on Tuesday, 27 May, reflecting investor reaction to the escalating tensions and the uncertain outlook for a ceasefire that began on 8 April.
