Graham Hails Trump Push to Expand Abraham Accords
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- Lindsey Graham called Trump's proposal to bring Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf states into the Abraham Accords 'simply brilliant,' predicting it would produce 'the most significant change in the Middle East in thousands of years'
- Trump on Monday urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain, and the UAE to sign onto the Abraham Accords, noting Bahrain and the UAE had already joined the 2020 framework
- The US and Iran are reportedly close to a deal extending the regional ceasefire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and addressing Iran's nuclear program with potential sanctions relief, though both sides say talks remain ongoing
- Graham reversed course from two days earlier, when he warned Trump against accepting a 'premature' deal with Iran that could shift the balance of power in Tehran's favor and become a 'nightmare for Israel' over time
- Trump defended the potential deal earlier Monday, publicly calling out Republican critics who pushed back against the negotiations
- On Truth Social, Trump wrote that negotiations are 'proceeding nicely' and the result would be either a 'Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting'
Why it matters: Trump is conditioning any US-Iran deal on Gulf states simultaneously normalizing ties with Israel — a major diplomatic escalation that reframes the Abraham Accords from a side initiative to the price of a broader Middle East settlement. Graham's 180-degree pivot from 'nightmare for Israel' warnings to 'simply brilliant' praise in 48 hours signals the administration has neutralized a prominent Republican skeptic ahead of any final agreement.
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