President Donald Trump reportedly urged leaders from several Arab and Muslim nations to establish diplomatic ties with Israel if an agreement is reached to end the conflict with Iran, according to an Axios report citing two U.S. officials familiar with the conversation.
The report said Trump views expanding the Abraham Accords as one of his administration’s top strategic goals once the Iran conflict concludes. His central objective is reportedly a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, though officials acknowledge that regional tensions and Israel’s approaching elections could complicate those efforts.
Trump reportedly held a conference call with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain to discuss the emerging diplomatic framework involving Iran.
One U.S. official said multiple leaders on the call voiced support for Trump’s handling of the negotiations.
“They all said we are with you on this deal. And if it doesn’t work, we will be with you too,” the official said.
According to another U.S. official familiar with the discussion, Trump informed the regional leaders that he intended to speak afterward with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed hope that Netanyahu would eventually participate in a similar multinational call.
The officials added that Trump directly encouraged countries that still do not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel to join the Abraham Accords once the Iran war ends.
According to the report, leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan appeared caught off guard by the request, leading to a moment of silence on the call before Trump jokingly asked whether everyone was still on the line.
Trump reportedly told participants that his senior envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, would continue discussions on the issue in the coming weeks.
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social thanking Middle Eastern countries for their “support and cooperation,” while signaling that future regional relations could deepen through additional participation in the Abraham Accords.
The president also floated the possibility that Iran itself could eventually join the accords — a dramatic step that would require Tehran to formally recognize Israel.
Lindsey Graham publicly backed Trump’s proposal Sunday in a post on X, arguing that a broader normalization effort tied to ending the Iran conflict could reshape the Middle East.
Graham said that if Arab and Muslim nations joined the Abraham Accords as part of the diplomatic process, the agreement could become one of the most significant geopolitical breakthroughs in the region’s modern history.
He also urged Saudi Arabia and other regional powers to support Trump’s initiative, warning that rejecting the proposal could carry consequences for their future ties with Washington.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously signaled openness toward normalization with Israel, though reports indicate his stance has become more cautious over the past year.
According to Axios, Trump personally raised the issue during a White House meeting with bin Salman last November, but the Saudi leader reportedly pushed back against immediate progress.
Saudi officials continue insisting that Israel commit to what they describe as an irreversible and time-limited path toward the establishment of a Palestinian state before normalization can proceed — a condition strongly opposed by Israel’s current government.
Israeli and American officials reportedly believe Saudi Arabia is unlikely to make major moves toward normalization before Israel’s September elections and the formation of a new government afterward.
Chairman of Religious Zionism and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:
Expanding the Abraham Accords is a wonderful thing.
Peace treaties from a position of strength, with security potential and economic development for the entire region.
But if it’s just shiny packaging for an existential threat in the form of dividing the land, handing over territory to the enemy, and establishing a Palestinian terror state twenty times the size of Gaza in an area that geographically and topographically dominates most of the land of Israel — then no, thank you.
We’ve already seen this horror movie, where they sold us bombastic illusions wrapped in lofty words about a ‘New Middle East’ and international standing in the family of nations — and it blew up in our buses, in city centers, with thousands of dead and wounded, and with the most terrible massacre we’ve suffered since the Holocaust.
After October 7th, there aren’t many sane people in Israel who would support that. Our right to this land is not for sale. Period.
Mr. Prime Minister, let it be clear — you have no mandate. Not even a hint of one, not even lip service.
If there are countries that want peace in exchange for peace — ahlan wa sahlan. If they want a Palestinian state — forget it. It’s not going to happen.