Trump Demands Saudi, Qatar Sign Abraham Accords in Iran Peace Plan

101 The demand arrived via a lengthy post on Truth Social, where the U.S. president detailed recent discussions with several regional leaders. According to Le Figaro, Trump insisted that as a condition of resolving the conflict with Tehran, other Muslim-majority nations must be compelled to align with Israel.

“I stated that after all the work carried out by the United States to try to resolve this very complex situation, all these countries should be obliged, at a minimum, to simultaneously sign the Abraham Accords.”

Donald Trump, President of the United States The Abraham Accords, originally brokered in 2020, established diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The framework emphasizes interfaith dialogue and cultural exchange to foster a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions. While Kazakhstan announced its intent to join the agreement in November 2025, the most influential players in the Gulf have remained holdouts.

The Iranian Delegation in Qatar

The timing of Trump’s demand is critical. A high-level Iranian delegation, including the chief negotiator and the governor of the central bank, is currently in Qatar. As Boursorama reports, this marks the first visit of its kind to the Gulf since Tehran launched retaliatory strikes against its neighbors during the war. For several weeks, the diplomatic process had been stalled. However, the last 48 hours suggested a breakthrough, bolstered by a visit to Tehran on May 23 by Pakistan’s army chief, who has acted as a mediator.

“It is accurate to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues under discussion. But to say that the signing of an agreement is imminent, no one can affirm it.”

Esmaïl Baghaï, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Baghaï’s caution reflects a deep-seated distrust of Washington’s consistency. By tying the Iran deal to the normalization of relations with Israel, the U.S. administration has shifted the goalposts, potentially alienating the very partners needed to stabilize the region.

Saudi and Qatari Resistance

Trump’s insistence on “simultaneous” signatures ignores the distinct geopolitical grievances of Riyadh and Doha. For Saudi Arabia, the path to normalization has been blocked by the conflict in Gaza that began in October 2023. Riyadh has maintained that no normalization with Israel can occur without the creation of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state—a condition the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to oppose. Qatar’s position is further complicated by its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. As noted by Le Figaro, Doha has hosted the political leadership of Hamas since 2012. Tensions between Israel and Qatar spiked in early September 2025, when Israel conducted unprecedented strikes against Hamas officials within Doha. These historical and current frictions make the U.S. demand for a swift, bundled agreement appear detached from the reality on the ground.

“disaster that the war has turned out to be” …

Anna Jacobs, Gulf States Institute, via AFP Jacobs’ critique refers to the war triggered by Israeli-American strikes on February 28, suggesting that the current administration’s approach lacks the nuance required to manage the volatile dynamics of the Gulf.

The Strategy for a Durable Regional Peace

Despite the friction, the administration’s objective is a fundamental shift in regional architecture. According to Les Echos, Trump is attempting to “exit at the top” of the conflict by expanding the Abraham Accords into a comprehensive regional peace. The logic is clear: a narrow deal to end the war with Iran might stop the immediate fighting, but a broader pact including Saudi Arabia and Qatar would create a strategic bloc that isolates Tehran’s more aggressive impulses while securing Israel’s position. The stakes for the next 30 days are immense. If the Iranian delegation in Qatar can finalize a deal, the U.S. may have the leverage to pressure the Gulf states. However, if the demand for the Abraham Accords is viewed as an ultimatum, it could collapse the progress made over the weekend. The current diplomatic map looks like this:

• The U.S. Goal: A bundled agreement ending the Iran war and expanding the Abraham Accords.
• The Iranian Position: Open to a deal on “a large part of the issues” but wary of U.S. volatility.
• The Saudi Requirement: A viable Palestinian state.
• The Qatari Conflict: Residual anger over September 2025 strikes and its role as a Hamas mediator.

Washington is betting that the exhaustion from the war will outweigh these ideological and diplomatic hurdles. Whether this ambition leads to a historic regional realignment or a total diplomatic breakdown depends on whether the U.S. is willing to soften its “obliged” stance to accommodate the specific demands of Riyadh and Doha.