Trump conditions the agreement with Iran on the normalization of relations with Israel

BarcelonaWhen the agreement between the United States and Iran seemed within reach, Donald Trump has made a new U-turn and has conditioned the understanding on the Gulf countries normalizing relations with Israel, its historic regional rival. In a message on his Truth Social network, the US president urged the mediating states, starting with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to sign the so-called Abraham Accords – which explicitly include this normalization – if they want the pact that would allow the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened to prosper.

"I mandatorily ask that all countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and if Iran signs its agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an honor for it to also be part of this unprecedented global coalition," the leader wrote. Trump defended this signing because it would represent an "unprecedented global coalition" and would leave the Middle East "united, powerful, and economically strong as surely no other region on the planet." "If they don't, they shouldn't be part of this agreement, as it shows bad faith," he added.

The Republican leader's message comes at a time of high diplomatic tension, when the negotiating teams of the United States and Iran assured that the agreement to stop the fighting and reopen Hormuz was "closer than ever." According to leaks to various media outlets, the preliminary agreement between the two countries foresees reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting sanctions on Iran, unblocking Iranian funds, and a 60-day truce to negotiate a nuclear pact.

Both sides stated this morning that there is consensus in some areas of the agreement, but they disagree on how and when it should be announced. This morning, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, from New Delhi, celebrated that the American and Iranian negotiating teams have "something quite solid on the table" and that an agreement could be reached this very Monday. For their part, Tehran has confirmed that there is a negotiation framework, but has clarified that the understanding does not necessarily have to be announced soon. The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, has implied that the agreement would precisely involve the end of confrontations, but that the nuclear issue would be outside the equation, as well as the details of the management of the Strait of Hormuz (and, therefore, the possibility that Iran could charge a toll there).

On the other hand, the agreement had received the disapproval of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is not willing to abandon the fighting in southern Lebanon, as Tehran demanded. Netanyahu showed this concern with a call to Trump this Saturday, in which he insisted that the American president align himself with his interests in the region. In a post on Telegram, on Sunday he assured that he has Washington's approval to defend himself against threats from all fronts, including that of Lebanon, and insisted that it is necessary to "eliminate the nuclear threat" posed by Iran.

The normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, two regional powers allied with Washington but historically at odds, would represent a major shift in the geopolitics of the Middle East. In fact, the United States had already tried to foster this rapprochement under the democratic administration of Joe Biden. But negotiations broke down after the Hamas attacks of October 7 and the brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. The Abraham Accords were promoted during Trump's first term and allowed Israel to re-establish diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, countries that had avoided recognizing Israel due to their Arab tradition.