President Trump pressed leaders of several Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday to commit to peace agreements with Israel after the Iran war ends, according to two U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the call. The outreach signals the next major diplomatic ambition Trump is pursuing in the Middle East once the current conflict is resolved.
The call included leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, who has taken a hawkish stance on the Iran war, expressed support for the initiative. A U.S. official described the response: "They all said we are with you on this deal. And if it doesn't work we will be with you too."
Trump is primarily aiming for a historic Saudi-Israeli normalization agreement, expanding the Abraham Accords. However, the current political climate across the region and an upcoming Israeli election make any near-term breakthrough extremely difficult, officials acknowledged.
The diplomatic push comes as Americans face the highest Memorial Day gas prices in four years, partly due to the Iran conflict. The national average for regular gas is $4.51, up $1.32 from last year, with California seeing the highest average at $6.11.