Trump's New Move: Israel Normalisation a Condition for Iran Peace Deal?
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - US President Donald Trump has made a new diplomatic move in his efforts to end the conflict with Iran. This time, Trump has linked the possibility of a peace deal with Iran to pushing Muslim-majority nations to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
In a statement on Truth Social on Monday (25 May 2026) local time, Trump said he had asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan to join the Abraham Accords en masse – a series of agreements normalising relations with Israel first established in 2020.
‘I am firmly demanding all countries sign the Abraham Accords immediately, and if Iran signs a deal with me, as US President, it would be an honour for me to include them in this unparalleled World Coalition,’ Trump wrote, according to Reuters.
Trump said he spoke with leaders of these countries last Saturday, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, which had previously normalised ties with Israel.
Trump’s move is seen as an attempt to expand US geopolitical influence in the Middle East – not only to end the conflict with Iran but also to build a new diplomatic bloc closer to Israel.
However, the strategy has immediately faced resistance, particularly from Pakistan. A Pakistani government source familiar with the talks said the Iran conflict and normalisation with Israel cannot be linked.
‘These two issues are unrelated and cannot be made so,’ the source stated. ‘Pakistan is not obligated to comply with such demands.’
To date, there has been no public response from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, or Jordan. However, positive responses are considered unlikely given the strong negative public sentiment in Muslim nations towards Israel due to its military operations in Gaza.
For Saudi Arabia, recognition of Israel is highly sensitive. Beyond regional geopolitics, Riyadh holds the custodianship of Islam’s two holy cities, Mecca and Medina.
Saudi Arabia’s official position remains unchanged: normalisation with Israel can only occur if there is a clear roadmap toward a Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan have long maintained diplomatic relations with Israel, while Turkey also has official ties, though these deteriorated following the Gaza war.
Trump claims negotiations with Iran are progressing positively, though there are no signs of an imminent final agreement.
The Abraham Accords were first signed during Trump’s presidency in 2020, with the UAE and Bahrain becoming the first Arab nations in a quarter-century to recognise Israel. Morocco and Sudan later joined the normalisation process.