Trump links normalizing ties with Israel to Iran peace deal. 1/2
Mon, May 25, 2026 at 12:04 PM
US President Donald Trump on Monday said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations must normalize ties with Israel as part of efforts to reach a deal with Iran, adding fresh uncertainty into protracted peace negotiations.
Progress on a deal to end the conflict that broke out in late February hasslowed as both sides talked down the prospect of an imminent agreement, with Tehran saying they were not close to signing and Trump warning he was in no hurry.
In another hurdle for any deal, the US leader said itshould be mandatory for Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan to sign up to the Abraham Accords, a set of agreements brokered in 2020 with nations historically hostile to Israel.
"After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords," he wrote in a lengthy social media post.
President Trump says he has told U.S. negotiators not to rush a deal with Iran. Iranian officials also say no signature is expected soon as the two governments discuss issues including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s uranium stockpile.
"Those Countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates (already a Member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a Member!)"
Trump said he had spoken to the leaders of those countries on Saturday about efforts to end the war with Iran.Bahrain and the UAE have already signed the accords, along with Morocco and Sudan.
US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while diplomats push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has maintained controls on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the US Navy has sought to blockade Iran's ports.
A high-level Iranian delegation that includes the country's top negotiator and foreign minister was in Doha on Mondayto discuss an agreement with the US and the release of frozen funds, a source briefed on the matter told AFP.
The visit was focusing "on issues relating to the Strait and highly enriched uranium", the source added.
Trump said earlier on Monday that a deal with Iran would either be "great and meaningful" or there would be "no deal."
But while the accords were welcomed by some as a foreign policy success,they remain deeply unpopular among the public in many parts of the Middle East, not least becausethey do not tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The issue is fraught as countries like Gulf heavyweightsSaudi Arabia and Qatar have said they will never normalise ties with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is created.
Anna Jacobsof the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington said Trump's latest demand added to the disaster that has been the war on all fronts for Gulf nations.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-tempers-expectations-middle-east-160411928.html