Trump says Saudi Arabia “very close” to normalizing relations with Israel

Saudi Arabia is “very close” to normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel and could “lead the way” toward expanding the Abraham Accords, US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Time magazine.

“I think we're very close. I think Saudi Arabia is going to lead the way,” Trump said. “I have great respect and like for the king—as you know, we have a great relationship—and I think Saudi Arabia will lead the way toward the Abraham Accords. That’s a big deal.”

“The amazing thing is we kept the four members, because they're doing great in the Abraham Accords, so nobody left,” Trump continued. “But instead of four members, within six months, we would have had everybody signed up.”

Despite challenges, Trump suggested that conditions are now more favorable for expanding the agreements. “But now it's easier. Now it's better,” he said. “Look, we had an Iran threat. That's why I have such respect for those four members that went in, because they went in knowing there was an Iran threat.”

Referring to the United Arab Emirates, one of the signatories of the 2020 Abraham Accords, Trump praised the courage of the countries that normalized ties with Israel despite regional risks.

Trump asserted that the regional security landscape has since shifted dramatically. “We don’t have the Iran threat anymore. We don’t have any threats anymore. We have peace in the Middle East,” he claimed. “And I think that the Abraham Accords are going to start filling up very quickly. I actually know it.”

By Vafa Guliyeva