Trump's Call with Arab Leaders: A Call for Peace Treaties with Israel after the Iran War

SadaNews - According to Israeli Channel 12, citing informed American officials, U.S. President Donald Trump conducted a group call on Saturday with several Arab and Muslim leaders, during which he called for their countries to join what is known as the "Abraham Accords" and to sign peace treaties with Israel, contingent on reaching an agreement to end the war against Iran.

The call included leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, during which Trump discussed the anticipated agreement with Tehran.

According to the report, Trump’s comments reflected the "next big step" he is seeking in the Middle East following the conflict with Iran, emphasizing that his primary goal is to achieve a historic peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, even though the current political circumstances and the upcoming Israeli elections make achieving that difficult in the near term.

During the call, the participating leaders, including UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who has taken a tougher stance towards Iran, expressed their support for the U.S. president. A senior American official conveyed, "They all agreed to support Trump in this agreement, affirming that they would continue to back him even if it does not succeed."

The report also clarified that Trump informed the leaders that he would be in touch with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing hope that the latter would join the call soon. He assured them that he expects countries yet to join the "Abraham Accords," or that do not have peace relations with Israel, to do so after the war with Iran concludes.

The call surprised some leaders, especially those in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan, who do not have official diplomatic relations with Israel. An American official noted that "silence fell on the line," before Trump jokingly asked if they were still connected, then informed them that his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Wietkowitz would follow up on this issue with them in the coming weeks.

In a post on "Truth Social" on Sunday, Trump thanked the Middle Eastern countries for their support and cooperation, emphasizing that this cooperation would further intensify with their joining of the "Abraham Accords." He also hinted at the possibility of Iran joining these accords someday, which would require recognition of Israel, a condition Tehran has rejected for decades.

However, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously shown readiness for normalization with Israel, but retracted that last year, holding firm to the condition of establishing a Palestinian state within a specified timetable, which Tel Aviv rejects. Trump had asked bin Salman to join the accords during their meeting in the Oval Office last November, but the crown prince declined, leading to tension in the meeting.

The report also noted that the war with Iran and the disagreements between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have led Riyadh to adopt a more skeptical and hardline position towards the Israeli government. American and Israeli officials believe that Saudi Arabia will not take any steps on this issue before the Israeli elections and understanding the shape of the next government.