Former US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that negotiations with Iran are moving in a positive direction. In a statement, Trump also called for a significant expansion of the Abraham Accords, advocating for a wide array of Middle Eastern countries to join the US-backed normalization framework.
Iran Negotiations: A "Great Deal or No Deal" Stance
Trump characterized the ongoing discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran as "proceeding nicely." However, he issued a stark warning, stating, "It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all - Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before - And nobody wants that!" This suggests a firm stance on the terms of any potential agreement.
The former president indicated he had discussed these issues over the weekend with several regional leaders, including Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman, the UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar's Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and others like Asim Munir, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Abdullah II.
Pushing for Wider Abraham Accords
Central to Trump's proposal is the expansion of the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements initiated during his first term in 2020 that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. Trump argued that any settlement reached with Iran should be accompanied by new signatories to these accords.
"It should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords," Trump asserted.
He specifically identified Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, and Jordan as countries that should join the framework. While acknowledging that "one or two" nations might have valid reasons not to sign, he expressed belief that most would be "ready, willing, and able" to participate.
Implications for Regional Stability
Trump hailed the Abraham Accords as a "Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM" for existing members and envisioned a transformed region through their expansion. He urged Saudi Arabia and Qatar to sign immediately, going so far as to suggest that countries unwilling to join should be excluded from any broader regional settlement, stating such reluctance "shows bad intention."
Intriguingly, Trump also floated the possibility of Iran itself eventually becoming a signatory to the Abraham Accords, should a comprehensive nuclear or political agreement be reached with Washington. He noted that several leaders he spoke with would be "honored" to welcome Iran into the accords post-agreement, a move he described as "something special!"
Ultimately, Trump believes such a broad agreement would lead to a "United, Powerful, and Economically Strong" Middle East, unlike any other region globally.