Trump: It should be ‘mandatory’ for 6 Muslim nations involved in Iran deal to join Abraham Accords

Trump: It should be ‘mandatory’ for 6 Muslim nations involved in Iran deal to join Abraham Accords

The Times of Israel is liveblogging Monday

US President Donald Trump ties the emerging Iran deal with the Abraham Accords normalization agreements with Israel and says joining it should be “mandatory” for six Muslim nations, telling Saudi Arabia and Qatar to sign up first.

“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all,” Trump writes on Truth Social, reiterating that if no deal is reached it will mean “Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before.”

During discussions on Saturday with leaders of eight Muslim-majority and Middle Eastern countries, Trump says he stated that “after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.”

He specifies those countries as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, and also lists the UAE and Bahrain while noting they are already members.

Trump does not mention Israel whatsoever in the lengthy post. It is not immediately clear whether Trump refers to traditional accession to the Abraham Accords — the US-brokered normalization agreements launched during his first term to establish formal relations with Israel — or envisions a larger political framework built around broader aims.

Trump says this expansion “should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit. If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention.

“It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be,” he adds.

He says that “numerous” of the leaders he spoke with “would be honored, as soon as our Document is signed, to have the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of the Abraham Accords.” Trump suggested yesterday that Tehran, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, could “perhaps” join the agreements after a deal is reached.

“The Abraham Accords have proven to be, for the Countries involved (The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan), a Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM, even during this time of Conflict and War, with the current Members never even suggesting leaving, or taking so much as even a pause,” he continues.

“Nothing in the past, or in the future, will surpass” such a framework, Trump says, declaring, “Therefore, I am mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition.”

“The Middle East would be United, Powerful, and Economically Strong, like perhaps no other area, anywhere in the World! By copy of this TRUTH, I am asking my Representatives to begin, and successfully complete, the process of signing these Countries into the already Historic Abraham Accords. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump concludes.

Opposition leaders slam Netanyahu for failure to achieve victory over Iran, Hezbollah

The leaders of the Knesset’s opposition parties slam Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his failure to achieve victory over Iran and Hezbollah ahead of a potential Iran-US deal, insisting that Jerusalem must retain its freedom of action regardless of what the United States decides to do.

Addressing reporters ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid calls the agreement currently shaping up between Washington and Tehran a “disaster,” arguing that “the regime did not fall, it grew stronger” and that the emerging agreement does not deal with the Iranian ballistic missile threat.

It is “absurd” that the deal was written without Israel at the table, he continues, declaring that “time and again the Netanyahu government sets goals and fails to meet them.”

“The current situation is the result of a continuous failure of government. Benjamin Netanyahu is a man blessed with talents, but he has grown old and tired and is surrounded by the least suitable people to run a country.”

Lapid says that Israel is a “sovereign country” and not an American protectorate and, as such, the prime minister should tell US President Donald Trump that “we reserve our freedom of action and are not committed to things that go against our security.”

Similarly, Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman tells reporters ahead of his own faction meeting that it is “only a matter of time” before Hezbollah drones hit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and that Israel “must achieve a decisive victory” against the Iran-backed terror group.

Turning to Iran, Gantz insists that Israel “should end the campaign only after the destruction of [Tehran’s] uranium or its extraction, the cessation of production of long-range ballistic missiles and the cessation of funding for proxies” and that “at the very least, Israel must preserve for itself freedom of action in any agreement.”

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Drone Strike On Middle East’s Largest Nuclear Plant Raises Fears Of Wider Iran Conflict

Drone Strike On Middle East’s Largest Nuclear Plant Raises Fears Of Wider Iran Conflict

Stefan J. Bos

A drone strike targeting the Middle East’s largest nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict involving Iran, its allied militias, Israel, and the United States.

UAE officials said the drone launched Sunday originated from Iraq and accused Iran-backed militias of carrying out what they described as a “terrorist” attack on critical civilian infrastructure.

Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, blamed “Iranian militias in Iraq” for the incident, warning it was “a grave indicator of the scale of the threat facing the region.”

The attack reportedly forced the Barakah nuclear facility to switch to backup power systems, though officials said there were no casualties or abnormal radiation levels.

Barakah is one of only two active nuclear power plants in the region, alongside Iran’s Bushehr plant.

Analysts said the strike demonstrated the growing vulnerability of Gulf infrastructure amid tensions surrounding possible renewed U.S. military action against Iran.

“This was a warning shot by Iran,” said Mohammed Baharoon, director of Dubai’s B’huth Public Policy Research Center. He said Tehran appeared intent on signaling that Gulf states would not remain immune if fighting escalates again.

Neither Iran nor Iraqi militias officially claimed responsibility for the attack, nor for several drones launched toward Saudi Arabia around the same time that Saudi authorities said were intercepted.

The developments come as Washington and Tehran attempt to preserve a fragile ceasefire reached April 8, while discussions continue over a broader agreement to prevent renewed hostilities.

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Israel watching regional military shifts with growing concern

Israel watching regional military shifts with growing concern

All Israel News Staff

Israel is closely monitoring a series of regional military and geopolitical developments this week that analysts say could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, particularly as Turkey expands its influence and the United States signals growing fatigue with military involvement in the region.

The long-standing goal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to establish his country as the leading Islamist political, cultural and military power in the Middle East as a stepping stone toward resurrecting the Ottoman Empire has been well documented.

This week, some progress appeared to be made toward that goal when the EFES-2026 Combined Joint Live-Fire Field Exercise took place along the Aegean coast near İzmir, involving large land, naval and air forces from the Turkish military alongside contingents from 50 other countries, including Syria and Libya.

The live-fire component of the drills took place in the İzmir Gulf and Doğanbey training ranges, with dozens of ships, tanks, infantry battalions and aircraft maneuvering, firing and communicating in close proximity.

The Libyan contingent included 331 fighters from the country’s eastern forces and 171 fighters from the western region, marching together under a single Libyan flag despite their lingering rivalry after years of civil war.

Turkey has spent several years attempting to form a joint force from units on both sides while providing training and logistical support.

Israel is watching these developments closely. Al-Jolani's regime is viewed in Jerusalem as a “not unfriendly” regional power and a potential ally against Hezbollah and the Iranian regime, while Turkey under Erdoğan is increasingly seen as a deeply hostile opponent of Israel with openly stated ambitions of “liberating Jerusalem.”

Ankara’s growing influence, not only in the Middle East but also in Europe and Africa, is viewed in Israel as an increasingly worrying development.

Students of Biblical prophecy have also noted the prominent mention of ancient regions corresponding to modern-day Turkey, Persia (modern-day Iran) and Libya in the coalition of nations that come against Israel, described in the prophecies of Ezekiel chapters 38-39.

Israeli analysts also expressed concern this week over a report released by the Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., detailing some of the costs and losses associated with Operation Epic Fury.

The report stated that 42 US aircraft were lost or damaged during the campaign. Most were MQ-9 Reaper unmanned drones, 24 of which were shot down during eight weeks of active combat.

At the same time, amid increasing economic hardship at home, concerns are rising that American public support for large-scale military deployments in the Middle East is fading.

”The U.S. doesn’t want to be in the Middle East anymore, while Iran and Turkey both want to be the new sheriff in town,” said a U.S. CENTCOM intelligence analyst who spoke to ALL ISRAEL NEWS on condition of anonymity.

Could Peace In The Middle East Open The Door To A Third Temple?

Could Peace In The Middle East Open The Door To A Third Temple?

 PNW STAFF

The stones beneath Jerusalem are speaking again.

For decades, the Temple Mount was treated as a place too volatile to touch politically, spiritually, or prophetically. Jewish prayer there was heavily restricted, Jewish religious presence was intentionally minimized, and most Israelis avoided even ascending the mount altogether. But something has changed in recent years -- and especially since the horrors of October 7th. 

A growing wave of religious Zionism is sweeping across Israel as many Jews rediscover their Biblical identity, their covenant history, and their connection to the very place where the First and Second Temples once stood.

And with that rediscovery comes a renewed longing for the Temple itself.

That longing is no longer confined to fringe activists. It is becoming increasingly visible in Israeli society, politics, and public demonstrations. Temple Mount flags are appearing during Jerusalem Day celebrations. More politicians are intentionally visiting the mount. Rabbis are openly discussing preparations for future Temple worship. One rabbi recently even proposed establishing a synagogue on the Temple Mount itself as a step toward eventual restoration.

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu recently called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli leadership to establish a synagogue directly on the Temple Mount as a first step toward expanded Jewish worship there. Speaking opposite the mount during Jerusalem Day events, Eliyahu declared that the Islamic structures currently standing there are tied to Israel's exile and insisted that a future Jewish Temple will one day rise again.

To many secular observers, these developments may appear symbolic or political. But to students of Bible prophecy, they may represent something far more significant.

At the center of this growing movement is the long-standing "status quo" arrangement governing the Temple Mount -- a fragile and controversial framework that has existed since Israel recaptured eastern Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967.

After Israel regained control of the Old City and the Temple Mount, then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan made the historic decision to leave administrative authority over the mount in the hands of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf. Israel retained overall security control, but Muslims would continue managing religious affairs at the site.

The arrangement was designed to prevent a wider religious war.

Under this unwritten "status quo," Muslims were permitted to worship freely on the mount, while Jews and Christians could only visit during limited hours and were forbidden from conducting visible acts of worship. Jews could not pray audibly, bow, carry Torah scrolls, blow shofars, or openly engage in religious rituals on Judaism's holiest site.

In theory, Israel's 1967 Protection of Holy Sites Law guarantees freedom of access and worship for all religions. In practice, however, Jewish worship on the Temple Mount has remained heavily restricted for decades.

For years, most Jews accepted this arrangement -- either out of political caution or rabbinical concerns regarding ritual purity. The Temple Mount became primarily a destination for foreign tourists while observant Jews often prayed below at the Western Wall instead.

But that reality is changing rapidly.

The recent arrest of 13 Jewish activists attempting to bring the Biblically mandated Shavuot bread offering onto the Temple Mount is only the latest sign of growing pressure against the status quo. According to reports, the activists breached security barriers carrying two loaves of leavened bread meant to fulfill the Biblical Shtei HaLechem offering described in Leviticus 23:17. Authorities quickly arrested them before the ritual could be completed.

Temple activists have been arrested several times in the past for attempts to bring Passover sacrifice-related items onto the mount.

These incidents are not isolated acts of religious extremism. They reflect a broader movement that increasingly believes Jews should fully reclaim worship rights at the site of the ancient Temples.

And the movement is growing.

More Jews are ascending the Temple Mount today than at any point in modern Israeli history. 

Organized Jewish tours now occur regularly. Religious activists openly advocate for expanded prayer rights. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has repeatedly visited the mount and publicly called for ending restrictions on Jewish prayer there -- triggering outrage across the Muslim world.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues insisting the status quo remains unchanged. Yet many observers recognize that gradual change is already underway. What once seemed politically impossible is increasingly becoming normalized.

And this raises a larger prophetic question:

Could these developments eventually lead to the construction of a Third Temple?

For Christians who study Biblical prophecy, this question matters immensely because Scripture repeatedly points to a future Jewish temple existing in the last days. The prophet Daniel describes a coming desecration of the temple by the Antichrist. Jesus Himself referenced this future "abomination of desolation" in Matthew 24. The Apostle Paul wrote that the "man of sin" would one day sit in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God.

A functioning temple is central to many end-times prophecies.

The Abraham Accords dramatically reshaped regional politics. Open normalization between Israel and Arab nations would have been nearly unimaginable just years earlier. Now discussions are growing about expanding those agreements further once regional conflicts -- including an end to the war with Iran -- into some form of negotiated framework that could include the entire region.  President Trump has already said this is on the table in the weeks ahead once peace with Iran is reached.

Could a future peace arrangement include religious concessions involving the Temple Mount?

Some Temple activists believe a Third Temple could potentially be constructed beside the Dome of the Rock rather than directly replacing it. Others believe archaeological evidence suggests the historic Jewish temples may have stood slightly north or south of the current Islamic structures, leaving room for coexistence.

Whether such proposals are realistic remains deeply debated. But the fact they are now being discussed openly at all is remarkable.

And perhaps that is the real story here.

The Temple Mount is no longer a dormant issue buried in ancient history. It is re-emerging as one of the most spiritually and geopolitically explosive subjects in the world. The push to change the status quo is accelerating. Religious Zionism is growing stronger. The desire for Jewish worship on the mount is intensifying. And the idea of a future temple -- once considered fantasy -- is steadily moving into mainstream discussion.

To Christians, this is not merely about politics or archaeology. It is about watching history move closer to the prophetic framework laid out thousands of years ago in Scripture.

The Temple Mount remains the most contested piece of real estate on earth because it sits at the intersection of God's promises, human conflict, and future prophecy.

And events there may ultimately shape the final chapters of human history itself.

IDF Prepares Lebanon Options as Possible U.S.-Iran Deal Raises Questions Over Hezbollah War

IDF Prepares Lebanon Options as Possible U.S.-Iran Deal Raises Questions Over Hezbollah War

Emmitt Barry,

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing for the possibility that an emerging U.S.-Iran agreement could pressure Jerusalem to limit its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as Israeli leaders insist the country must retain freedom of action against threats along its northern border.

Hebrew media reported Sunday that Israeli officials are weighing several operational options in southern Lebanon in case a broader diplomatic arrangement requires Israel to halt or scale back its offensive against the Iran-backed terror group. 

The issue remains unresolved, with reports indicating that Lebanon and Hezbollah have been handled in separate negotiations in Washington, even as the proposed U.S.-Iran framework may include language affecting the Israel-Hezbollah front.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that President Donald Trump had assured him Israel would retain the right to defend itself “on every front, including Lebanon.” Reuters, citing an Israeli source, also reported that Netanyahu told Trump Israel must preserve freedom of action against military threats, particularly in Lebanon. 

Israel Rejects Return to Old Border Reality

According to Israeli reports, officials have told Washington that Jerusalem will not accept a return to the prewar status quo in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah had entrenched itself near Israeli communities despite repeated international efforts to keep the terror group away from the border.

Walla reported that Israeli sources said Jerusalem wants to maintain freedom of operation in areas of southern Lebanon captured since fighting resumed in March. Those sources said Israel has indicated it may seek to keep control over a strip roughly seven to eight kilometers inside Lebanese territory.

Ynet reported that the IDF is considering several options, including permanent military outposts inside some southern Lebanese villages or more frequent targeted raids designed to prevent Hezbollah operatives from reestablishing positions near the Israeli border.

The concern in Jerusalem is straightforward: if Hezbollah is allowed to return to the border, Israeli communities in the north could once again face rocket fire, drone attacks, anti-tank missiles, and cross-border infiltration threats.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Saturday he hoped any agreement would include Lebanon, but he again rejected calls for Hezbollah to disarm. He also urged Lebanese authorities to abandon direct talks with Israel, accusing Washington of not being “an honest broker.”

That refusal remains at the heart of the crisis. Israel has demanded that the Lebanese government disarm Hezbollah, while Beirut has demanded that Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir approved plans Sunday for the continuation of fighting against Hezbollah after holding a situational assessment with Northern Command. During a visit to the command and later to the headquarters of the 401st Armored Brigade, Zamir said the IDF was “determined to deepen the blow against Hezbollah,” according to the military.

U.S.-Iran Talks Could Complicate Israel’s Northern Campaign

The diplomatic uncertainty comes as the White House says a deal with Iran could take several more days, with Tehran’s leadership still weighing approval. Axios reported that the emerging framework includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its naval blockade, alongside gradual sanctions relief tied to limits on Iran’s nuclear enrichment. 

The Associated Press reported that officials familiar with the draft said it could also include an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah. 

That prospect has alarmed some Israeli officials, who fear that a diplomatic deal aimed at de-escalating the wider regional war could leave Hezbollah’s infrastructure intact in Lebanon.

Axios has reported that under the terms being discussed, Israel may only be permitted to strike Hezbollah if the terror group instigates or carries out attacks. Israeli officials, however, are pressing for broader operational freedom, arguing that Hezbollah’s military presence itself represents an active threat to Israeli civilians.

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