Pakistan rejects Trump call to join Abraham Accords

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday, May 25, that he has urged several Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader effort tied to ongoing diplomacy with Iran, as per Reuters.

According to Trump, he asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, and Jordan to normalise relations with Israel collectively. However, Pakistan rejected the proposal, while the other countries have not publicly responded. Analysts consider a positive reaction unlikely given widespread public distrust of Israel in these nations, particularly amid the scale of its military campaign in Gaza.

Trump said he spoke on Saturday, May 23, with leaders of those countries, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both of which previously signed the accords.

"I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, ⁠if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He added that the initiative builds on "all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together."

A Pakistani source familiar with the discussions said Trump’s statement reflects an effort to link Iran ceasefire diplomacy with expanding the Abraham Accords, but emphasized that the two tracks are “not interlinked and cannot be made so."

"Pakistan is under no compulsion to adhere to any such demand,” the source said.

Trump acknowledged that one or two of the countries he contacted might have reasons not to join, but said most should be "ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, ‌be."

For Saudi Arabia, recognizing Israel would represent a major geopolitical shift. As the birthplace of Islam and custodian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the issue is closely tied to national security considerations and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Riyadh has long maintained that normalization would require a clear roadmap toward Palestinian statehood.

Egypt, Jordan, and Türkiye already maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, although those ties have been strained since the start of the Gaza war.

Trump also said that negotiations with Iran were "proceeding nicely," but did not indicate that an agreement was imminent.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Trump ally, supported the idea of linking an Iran deal to the Abraham Accords, saying it could foster regional integration and create "a powerhouse for economic opportunity."

Others expressed scepticism. Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, said:

"Trump is trying to sell an Iran deal ⁠as an Abraham Accords sequel: good for Israel, good for the region, tough enough for Washington,"

"But he is trading one fantasy for another — from forcing Iran to surrender to pretending a fragile deal can anchor a new Middle East order."

Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to expand the Abraham Accords, which were first brokered during his presidency in 2020. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the initial signatories, followed later by Morocco and Sudan, marking the first time in decades that Arab states formally recognised Israel.

By Tamilla Hasanova