Trump Proposes Requiring Countries to Recognize Israel for Iran Peace Deal
President's social media post linking Abraham Accords expansion to war settlement draws bewilderment from Middle East analysts who call the connection 'bizarre.'
President Trump sparked confusion across the Middle East this week when he suggested that ending the war with Iran should be contingent on multiple countries joining the Abraham Accords and recognizing Israel. In a social media post on Monday, Trump said such recognition "should be mandatory" as part of any deal to conclude the conflict that began when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.
The proposal immediately drew skepticism from regional analysts who questioned the logic behind linking the two issues. Half of the countries Trump named in his post, including Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, already maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. The other half, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, have shown no interest in establishing such ties in the near future, making the president's ultimatum appear disconnected from regional realities.
"It's just bizarre," said Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. "What's the connection between a deal with Iran and that? I'm honestly puzzled." Two Western diplomats in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy, said no one was taking the idea seriously.
The confusion deepened as analysts struggled to understand why countries like Qatar, which had lobbied desperately to prevent the war in the first place, would be incentivized to recognize Israel as part of ending a conflict they opposed. Trump's suggestion appeared to conflate separate diplomatic tracks that have historically operated independently of each other.
When asked to clarify the connection between Iran peace negotiations and expanding the Abraham Accords, a White House spokeswoman did not provide a direct answer. Instead, she referenced remarks Trump made Wednesday suggesting that U.S. agreement on a deal with Iran could be made contingent upon countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar agreeing to recognize Israel, further muddying the administration's diplomatic strategy.
