Abraham Accords and the proposed Iran deal: Why Trump wants Arab states to join

On 25 May 2026, US President Donald Trump publicly asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan to sign the Abraham Accords as part of his attempt to find a way out of the ongoing conflict with Iran. The call has revived debate over the future of these accords and the unresolved Palestinian question.

The Abraham Accords are a set of US-brokered agreements first signed in 2020 during Trump's first term. The aim is to normalise diplomatic, economic and security ties between Israel and Muslim-majority countries that had not recognised it since 1948. The accords are named after the patriarch Abraham, who is shared as a figure across Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

So far, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have signed the accords, with Somaliland and Kazakhstan joining later. Saudi Arabia has held back. Riyadh continues to insist that any normalisation needs Israel to end its war on Gaza and accept an irreversible, credible and time-bound path to an independent Palestinian state.

Pakistan rejected the latest proposal. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said joining the accords would clash with Pakistan's stated commitment to a sovereign Palestine. Several other Arab capitals have signalled discomfort with linking the accords to the Iran ceasefire.

Trump's renewed push comes against the backdrop of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has rattled global oil markets through tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. A Pew poll on 1 May 2026 found that 62 per cent of Americans surveyed disapprove of Trump's handling of the action against Iran. The Gallup Economic Confidence Index fell to minus 45 in May, its weakest since October 2022. Republican lawmakers and parts of Trump's voter base are uneasy about another prolonged West Asian war ahead of the November midterms.

Strategically, expanding the accords would lock in a US-led regional bloc anchored on Israel and aimed at containing Iran. For Israel, it would be a major diplomatic gain at a time when international criticism over Gaza has grown. For Washington, it would strengthen the Indo-Pacific-style alliance grid idea in West Asia.

For India, the issue matters in three ways. First, India has its own normalised relations with Israel and strong economic links with the Gulf, making any wider deal relevant for energy, remittances and diaspora. Second, India backs a two-state solution, which means the Palestine question still anchors its position. Third, instability around the Strait of Hormuz directly affects Indian oil and LPG imports, as evident from the recent moves to expand strategic petroleum reserves at home.