Trump Demand for Gulf Countries to Recognise Israel Reportedly Met with Stunned Silence | ABC NEWS

May 26, 2026 | US President Donald Trump is demanding Arab states formally recognise Israel and sign the Abraham Accords as part of efforts to secure peace with Iran in the Middle East. The request, initially made in an audio-visual link up, was reportedly met with a silence so long the US President asked if the leaders were still on the line. Saudi Arabia has signalled it will not accept the request unless a deal on Palestinian statehood is guaranteed and Israeli forces withdraw from the Palestinian territories. ABC global affairs editor Laura Tingle says the US president’s demands suggest he is attempting to blame Gulf states for stifling negotiations for a truce with Iran.

President Trump must be living in la-la land! The cuckoo must surely already be in the cloud! — © Mark Alexander