Bin Salman Furious at Trump: "No! I Said It 100 Times"

Trump's Pressure for the 'Abraham Accords'
"U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Could Be Jeopardized"
Seen by Some as Merely a 'Political Gesture'
to Appease Domestic Dissent

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who has maintained a friendly relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, is reportedly furious over pressure to sign the 'Abraham Accords' to normalize relations with Israel. Concerns have also been raised that if President Trump actually pushes these demands, it could jeopardize the entire peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.

On April 8 (local time), Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (right) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks in Saudi Arabia. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency

According to the British daily The Times on May 26 (local time), President Trump, in connection with negotiations to end the war with Iran, proposed the signing of the Abraham Accords during a conference call with the leaders of major Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, on May 23.

This call reportedly made Crown Prince bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, extremely displeased. A source stated that the Crown Prince was "furious," adding, "He said 'no' to Trump 100 times, and will have to say it another 100 times in the future."

Crown Prince bin Salman, who has maintained close ties with President Trump, has recently faced continuous pressure from the United States to normalize relations with Israel. Unlike his father's generation, Crown Prince bin Salman is known to represent a generation that does not view the Palestinian issue as a core matter that could undermine Saudi interests.

The Abraham Accords are agreements brokered by the United States in 2020 to advance normalization between Israel and Arab states. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain participated first, followed by Morocco and Sudan. However, Arab countries including Saudi Arabia have maintained the position that normalization with Israel is difficult without a resolution to the Palestinian issue. In particular, The Times reported that the Saudi leadership has demanded a clear and guaranteed roadmap, including a 'two-state solution' and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, as conditions for normalization.

Pakistan, one of the key mediators in the U.S.-Iran negotiations, is also considered unlikely to participate in the agreement. This is because, like other Islamic countries, there is strong public sympathy for Palestine within Pakistan. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Sama TV, "In my personal view, we will not be part of such an agreement," adding, "It is in conflict with our fundamental values." He further stated, "We have never made such a proposal first, and no one has approached us in that way either."

President Trump has been urging the expansion of the Abraham Accords since last week. In connection with the negotiations to end the war with Iran, he reportedly proposed signing the agreement during a conference call with the leaders of major Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, on May 23. Two days later, on May 25, he publicly called for the participation of leading Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, in the agreement on his social media platform, Truth Social. President Trump even mentioned that Iran could also participate in the agreement.

The U.S. political outlet Politico reported concerns that President Trump's insistence on the Abraham Accords with Arab allies could threaten the entire peace negotiations between the United States and Iran. This is because mediating countries may not be willing to risk provoking public opinion at home to normalize relations with Israel.

However, the outlet also reported that some Middle Eastern officials are not taking President Trump's demands seriously. They view it as a 'political gesture' intended to appease hardliners in the Republican Party who are dissatisfied with the negotiations to end the war with Iran. A diplomat from a Gulf state, who requested anonymity, said, "It's a clever tactic to calm angry supporters," adding, "Trump will keep mentioning this issue, but it will not be included in the actual negotiation proposal."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.