Donald Trump has urged Arab nations to recognize Israel as part of a broader Iran peace agreement, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that negotiations with Tehran could still take days as American forces launched fresh strikes inside Iran.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES NEWS
US President Donald Trump has called on Arab nations to formally recognize Israel as part of a wider regional agreement aimed at ending tensions with Iran, even as the United States carried out new military strikes and diplomatic negotiations continued in Doha.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump urged regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to immediately join the Abraham Accords, the US-backed normalization initiative launched during his first term.
“It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit,” Trump wrote, adding that countries refusing to normalize ties with Israel would show “bad intention.”
Trump said expanding the Abraham Accords could transform the proposed Iran agreement into a “historic event” capable of reshaping the Middle East politically and economically. He also suggested Arab leaders would be “honored” if Iran itself eventually joined the accords despite decades of hostility between Tehran and Israel.
The diplomatic push came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations with Iran could still “take a few days,” signaling that no immediate breakthrough was expected.
Speaking to reporters aboard his plane in Jaipur, India, Rubio stressed that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz “has to be open one way or the other” as talks continue through regional mediators.
Meanwhile, the US military launched fresh strikes inside Iran targeting boats allegedly attempting to lay naval mines and missile launch facilities in the southern parts of the country, according to US Central Command.
Washington described the operations as defensive actions intended to protect American forces despite an uneasy ceasefire that has technically remained in place since April.
Iranian media also reported that air defense systems shot down a “hostile” stealth drone over the Persian Gulf region, although officials did not identify where it originated.
Senior Iranian officials are currently holding discussions in Doha with Qatari mediators on a possible framework agreement to end months of confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
According to officials familiar with the negotiations, talks are focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, frozen Iranian assets abroad, and broader security guarantees.
Before the current conflict, Saudi Arabia had maintained that recognition of Israel would depend on the establishment of a Palestinian state and an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories.
Several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, already have normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
Despite Trump’s optimistic tone, analysts remain skeptical that a comprehensive agreement can be achieved quickly due to unresolved disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and escalating regional tensions involving the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Oil markets reacted cautiously to the latest developments, with traders closely monitoring the security of Gulf energy supplies and the future of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
