What are the Abraham Accords? Why Trump's Iran peace condition may spell trouble for Pakistan | Explained

Pakistan, a country whose passports carry an explicit line stating, “valid for all countries except Israel," has a longstanding policy of non-recognition for Israel is under pressure after Trump's 'mandatory' Abraham Accords condition for Iran peace deal which Islamabad happens to mediate. 

The United States President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, explicitly linked ongoing negotiations with Iran to a major expansion of the Abraham Accords. Trump said that he had told regional countries in West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Pakistan, that it should be “mandatory” for them to simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords and normalise relations with Israel as part of any comprehensive Iran peace agreement.

He described negotiations with Tehran as “proceeding nicely” but warned of “no Deal at all” and potential escalation otherwise, while even floating the idea of a post-deal Iran joining a broader “World Coalition” for peace.

What are the Abraham Accords?

The Abraham Accords were signed on September 15, 2020, in Washington, DC, during Donald Trump’s first term as US President. The event marked a historic breakthrough in Middle Eastern diplomacy.

Brokered by the United States, the agreements normalised full diplomatic, economic, and security relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later joined by Sudan and Morocco.

Named after the biblical patriarch Abraham, a figure revered across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the accords prioritised shared economic opportunities, technology, tourism, and mutual security interests over the longstanding focus on the Palestinian issue.

Unlike previous Arab-Israeli peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, which followed the “land for peace” formula, the Abraham Accords emphasised pragmatic cooperation, particularly in countering Iran’s regional ambitions.

The deals  resulted in direct flights, trade agreements, defence partnerships, and significant investment flows.

By 2025-2026, the framework expanded modestly, with Kazakhstan joining, as Trump sought a wider regional realignment.

Also Read: ‘Great deal or no deal at all’: Trump on Iran talks as he seeks Islamic countries to join Abraham Accords

Abraham Accords Israel- Pakistan catch

But Trump’s Abraham Accords compulsion comes with a Pakistan catch;  Islamabad and Jerusalem have never established formal diplomatic relations. Since its founding in 1948, Pakistan has consistently refused to recognize Israel, voting against the UN Partition Plan for Palestine and maintaining a policy rooted in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, its identity as an Islamic republic, and strong domestic public sentiment.

In early attempts soon after Israel’s independence in 1948, David Ben-Gurion sent a telegram to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which went unanswered, since then, the relationship has remained non-existent and politically sensitive in Pakistan.

With Trump’s latest Abraham Accords condition linking Iran peace deal, Pakistan-US ties hang in the balance. Islamabad, which is acting as a mediator between the US and Iran, how does Trump’s condition spell trouble for Islamabad?

Also Read: ‘Ignore Trump’s social media posts’: Why US negotiators urged Iran to overlook President's public comments

Will the US-Pakistan tie succumb to Trump's Abraham Accord pressure?

Trump’s latest linkage of the Pakistan-mediated US-Iran peace deal with the Abraham Accords transforms the Iran talks into a broader strategic play.

By conditioning US-facilitated peace and sanctions relief on wider normalization, Trump aims to create an integrated bloc of former adversaries united by economic incentives and common threats.

For Pakistan, this demand creates a profound diplomatic and domestic dilemma.

Islamabad has been actively involved in shuttle diplomacy between the US and Iran, leveraging its unique position. However, formally joining the Abraham Accords would represent a dramatic reversal of decades-old policy.

Such a move risks igniting widespread protests from religious parties, opposition groups, and the public, potentially destabilising the government amid existing economic and political pressures.

Strategically, Pakistan maintains a delicate balance: deep economic dependence on Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia for remittances, investment, and energy, longstanding border and sectarian ties with Iran, and reliance on US support.

Pakistan is caught on a tightrope. Yielding to US pressure might secure economic lifelines and elevate its international stature if mediation succeeds, but the ideological and political costs at home could prove prohibitive in the short term.

Trump’s “mandatory” framing underscores Washington’s leverage through aid, security cooperation, and Gulf alliances, yet it also highlights the limits of external pressure on deeply held national positions.

As talks advance on nuclear issues, sanctions, and Hormuz security, Pakistan’s response could influence not only its bilateral ties but the success of Trump’s vision for a transformed Middle East.

The coming weeks will determine whether Pakistan, a country whose passports carry an explicit line stating, “valid for all countries except Israel,” a symbolic and legal reflection of Islamabad’s longstanding policy of non-recognition, will accept Israel.