U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 25 that any future agreement with Iran must include provisions requiring Tehran to recognize Israel and join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 normalization framework between Israel and several Arab states. The statement marks a significant expansion of Washington's preconditions for resuming nuclear diplomacy with Iran.
The linkage represents a departure from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which focused narrowly on Iran's nuclear program without addressing regional diplomatic relations. Trump withdrew the United States from that agreement during his first term in 2017, reimposing sanctions that Iran says justify its subsequent uranium enrichment beyond JCPOA limits.
Under Trump's formulation, Iran would need to establish formal ties with Israel and sign onto the Abraham Accords — which currently include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan — before the U.S. would negotiate sanctions relief or other nuclear concessions. Iran does not recognize Israel's existence and has called the Abraham Accords a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, making acceptance of this precondition highly unlikely under the current Iranian government.
"Any deal with Iran must include their recognition of Israel and participation in the Abraham Accords," Trump said in the statement reported by Reuters.