Additional country may join Abraham Accords within six months, ambassador to UAE says

Israel’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Yossi Shelley, said on Tuesday that another country, possibly Kuwait, could join the Abraham Accords within four to six months, he said in an interview with KAN News.

Several months ago, US President Donald Trump wrote in a post on the Truth social media platform that negotiations with Iran were “moving along nicely,” but stressed that from his perspective the options were “a big deal for everyone, or no deal at all.”

Trump said that if an agreement is not reached, the sides would return “to the battlefield and to shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before,” adding that “nobody wants that.”

Trump calls for broader Abraham Accords participation

Trump also referred to talks he held on Saturday with leaders from the Middle East and the Muslim world, which included Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa.

He said that “after the great work the United States has invested in formulating the agreement, the countries involved should sign the Abraham Accords simultaneously.”

According to Trump, the countries that should join the agreements are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.

Trump noted that the UAE and Bahrain are already members of the accords, and added that one or two countries may choose not to join. However, he said that most should be “ready, willing and able” to turn the arrangement with Iran into a broader historic event.

Shelly denies report of Emirati warnings before October 7

Shelley also addressed the reports that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the October 7 massacre and denied the claims. “I was there during those days. I do not remember any warning or any discussion about it,” Shelley told KAN News.

“In my opinion, it passed as if it never happened. I can say something: I was also there during those days. I do not remember any warning or discussion about it. But who am I, the small person who sat in several cabinets? I never heard of this thing, not in March, not in April, not in May, and not in June,” he said when asked about the impact of these reports.

“I think any statement by the Emiratis in this area would have disrupted the issue for both sides. They said what they said, and I think that whoever reads between the lines understands what happened. So it is hard to interpret what isn't explicit. The most important thing is that we are on the rise. I see it in our relations, I see it in the visits, some of which are reported and some of which are not, because naturally our region is quite sensitive,” he added.

Against the backdrop of the six-year anniversary of the UAE joining the Abraham Accords, Shelley discussed the ups and downs in relations between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi, saying the ties are strengthening.

“We are experiencing dramatic growth, and the bottom line is that we are true partners at the moment of truth. In the end, in the money time, who do you say will be the person you pick up the phone to and they will give you help?” he said.