United States President Donald Trump has tied the future of any Iran agreement to a dramatic expansion of the Abraham Accords, signalling a broader geopolitical push to reshape alliances across West Asia.
The move came alongside Trump sharply recalibrating expectations around ongoing negotiations with Tehran, warning that any agreement with Iran would either be “meaningful” or there would be “no deal at all.”
“The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal,” Trump wrote. Earlier in Tehran, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei acknowledged progress in negotiations but cautioned against expectations of an imminent breakthrough.
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said he was “mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords” which is the diplomatic framework introduced during his first term that normalised ties between Israel and several Arab states.
The countries he referenced included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE and Bahrain, both already signatories to the accords. The statement marked a shift in tone after Trump had earlier suggested that an agreement to end the nearly three-month conflict with Iran was “largely negotiated.”
Washington and Tehran have observed a fragile ceasefire since April 8 while mediators continue efforts toward a negotiated settlement. However, tensions remain in place with Iran continuing restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz and the United States maintaining heavy pressure through sanctions and military deployments.
Earlier in Tehran, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei acknowledged progress in negotiations but cautioned against expectations of an imminent breakthrough.
“We have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the discussion topics,” Baghaei said. “But this does not mean that the signing of an agreement is imminent.”
Baghaei also stressed that the talks are currently focused on “ending the war” rather than directly addressing Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump’s latest remarks suggest the White House is attempting to leverage the Iran negotiations into a wider regional realignment centred around Israel and the Abraham Accords.
Originally signed in 2020, the accords led to the UAE and Bahrain establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, later followed by Morocco and Sudan. Trump has long sought to bring larger regional players particularly Saudi Arabia and Pakistan into the framework. Before the current conflict, Riyadh had repeatedly insisted that any normalisation with Israel would require credible movement toward a Palestinian state and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories.
The inclusion of Pakistan in Trump’s list adds another layer of complexity. Islamabad has historically refused to recognise Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, even as Gulf allies deepen engagement with Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to temper speculation surrounding a breakthrough during his visit to India. “We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today. I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.
Rubio added that the United States would either secure a “strong agreement” with Iran or confront the country “another way,” while insisting diplomacy would still be given “every chance to succeed.” During his India visit, Rubio also toured the Amber Fort and the Taj Mahal, cultural hotspot stops before attending the Quad foreign ministers meet in Delhi on Tuesday.
