President Donald Trump is looking to expand the Abraham Accords to get more Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel, and the future of the Middle East hangs in the balance.
The Abraham Accords were a flagship foreign policy achievement of Trump’s first term, successfully getting the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco and Bahrain to formally normalize relations with Israel. While Trump faces an uphill battle to gain more signatories of the accords, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that bringing more Arab nations into the fold would establish a powerful bulwark against Iran and potentially set up the Middle East for stability that it has not known for decades.
“The Middle East has turned upside down,” Shoshana Bryen, senior director of the Jewish Policy Center, told the DCNF. “Israel is the strong horse, not Iran. All of Iran’s proxies are being decimated. Countries that were sitting and watching like Jordan and Iraq, who were terrified of Iran, are now on Israel’s side.”
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has repeatedly indicated that the Trump administration plans to expand the accords, most recently saying in an interview with CNBC on June 25 that he would soon have “pretty big announcements on countries that are coming into the Abraham Accords.”
Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords could be a major momentum-builder that could drive other Arab states to join in after, Noronha told the DCNF. However, without an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip on terms acceptable to the Saudis, the nation may not be inclined to give the accords any mind.
“If Saudi can get to ‘yes,’ almost all the other nations have indicated they’ll be shortly behind,” Noronha told the DCNF. “Saudi is really difficult, and from what I’ve heard, there’s no prospect of Saudi probably in this year. The Gaza situation really needs to get resolved before Saudi peace can move forward.”
Israel accepted a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday, but Hamas has yet to accept the deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained his position that Hamas must be eliminated just a day after accepting the proposal.
The U.S. has notably attempted to normalize relations with Syria, dropping all sanctions against the nation on June 30 in an effort to “support the country’s path to stability and peace,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press conference that day. The Trump administration began thawing its relationship with Syria in May after Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, establishing a new government under Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Now, Trump is eyeing Syria as a potential key partner in expanding the Abraham Accords. However, it may be too much for Syria to pursue complete normalization just yet, as key questions regarding the new government’s stability remain unanswered.
“Obviously, Syria would benefit from gaining both favor of the United States and gain stability on one of its major land borders, having economically powerful partner next to them who could help rebuild and help provide stability,” Gabriel Noronha, president of Polaris National Security and leading advisor to Congress on national security, told the DCNF with regard to Syria and Israel.
One possible sticking point between Syria and Israel is the sovereignty of the Golan Heights, as Israel has said the territory is not up for discussion. The Syrian President took his nomme du guerre, “al-Julani,” as an homage to his home region long occupied by Israeli forces, Noronha told the DCNF.
However, some reporting suggests that Syria will not demand full control over the disputed territory, potentially improving peace prospects.
“Apparently the Syrians will not demand the Golan Heights back, which is big,” Bryen told the DCNF. “They want Israel to leave all the territory that it took after Assad left Syria.”
Lebanon is another candidate nation that Israel and the U.S. are considering for the renewed accords, despite the Jewish state’s conflict with Hezbollah, which holds considerable influence over Lebanese politics. However, the Islamist militant group has been significantly weakened by Israeli military actions, which could open the door for restoring relations with the Levant nation.
More broadly, a reinvigorated Abraham Accords pact could also become the springboard for the continued U.S. pivot to Asia if they succeed in creating long-term stability in the region.
“It is sort of like parents helping their children grow up and be able to leave the nest,” Noronha told the DCNF. “And that doesn’t mean that we will abandon our relationship with them. It just means that they can be more independent and take care of themselves more.”
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