President Donald Trump's latest attempt to end the war with Iran has taken an unexpected turn. Instead of focusing only on a ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program, Trump now appears to be linking any broader peace settlement to Arab and Muslim countries recognizing Israel through the Abraham Accords.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had spoken with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.

He reportedly urged them to sign onto the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly not part of the call.

Trump's demand is ambitious, but it also creates serious diplomatic complications. The Abraham Accords were one of Trump's major foreign-policy achievements during his first term. Brokered in September 2020, they led the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to establish official diplomatic relations with Israel.

Sudan later agreed to normalize relations, though its ratification was delayed by civil war. Morocco joined in December 2020, while Kazakhstan, which already had diplomatic ties with Israel since the 1990s, joined the accords last November.

The regional response to Trump's latest appeal is likely to be cautious, if not resistant. Pakistan has already rejected the idea out of hand. Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Samaa TV that joining such an agreement would clash with Pakistan's fundamental ideologies.

Among the countries Trump named, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Egypt and Jordan already recognized Israel through separate peace agreements in 1979 and 1994. Turkey recognized Israel in 1949, although its relations with Israel have sharply deteriorated and bilateral trade was suspended over the Gaza war.

So far, no other country besides Pakistan has publicly responded to Trump's demand. According to a US official cited by Axios, leaders on the call, especially those from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, appeared stunned. The official said there was silence on the line, prompting Trump to joke and ask whether they were still there.

Saudi Arabia's position remains especially important. After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire last October, Trump again suggested that Riyadh join the accords.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later said Saudi Arabia was open to joining, but only if there was a clear path toward Palestinian sovereignty. Israel's far-right government, however, opposes both Palestinian sovereignty and a two-state solution.