Donald Trump suggests several more countries to join Abraham Accords
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump also said that Iran has no immediate desire to restore its nuclear programme, which the US launched strikes against on June 21.
Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked the President if he thought the attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities made it more likely that other countries would join the Abraham Accords. 'Yes,' he said. 'We have some really great countries in there right now, and I think we're going to start loading them up, because Iran was the primary problem.'
Under the Abraham Accords, several Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, established relations with Israel in 2020. Mr Trump did not mention which additional countries might join the accords. The US has for years been pushing Saudi Arabia to join.
In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS News it could be just a matter of months before Iran starts producing enriched uranium again.
But Mr Trump insisted that the Fordow nuclear site was 'obliterated like nobody's ever seen before'. He added that he thought Tehran had no desire to restart its nuclear programme for now. 'The last thing they want to do right now is think about nuclear,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Post
2 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Iran Escalates Nuclear Secrecy, Cuts IAEA Ties
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A deepening rift between Iran and international nuclear inspectors marks a turning point in Tehran's approach to its atomic programme and signals a complex challenge for global diplomacy. Iran has formally suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, severing communication channels and obstructing inspections, in the wake of U.S. and Israeli military strikes on its nuclear sites. The move was set in motion on 23 June when Iran's parliamentary national security committee approved a framework for halting camera installation, inspections, and reporting to the IAEA unless the 'security of nuclear facilities is guaranteed'. The legislation was ratified by the Guardian Council on 26 June and now awaits signature from President Masoud Pezeshkian. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf justified the step, stating that cooperation should resume only when IAEA activity ceases to endanger facilities. ADVERTISEMENT Iran has since implemented the decision, reportedly blocking emergency channel calls from the IAEA's Vienna headquarters. According to a Bloomberg report, once the Incident and Emergency Centre had been in sustained dialogue since 13 June, communication has now dwindled to silence. The suspension has intensified global worry over what happened at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites that were struck in late June by U.S. and Israeli forces. Satellite imagery indicates significant damage, and the UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi described the destruction as 'enormous', stating that centrifuges at Fordow are no longer operational. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the strikes as theatrics, displaying defiance in his first address since a ceasefire with Israel, while the IAEA has received no formal notification from Tehran about the halt. Inspectors face a dual challenge: assessing bomb damage and reconciling it with actual uranium stockpiles. Reuters reports that uncovering whether enriched uranium was destroyed, buried in debris or clandestinely moved will be 'long and arduous'. IAEA chief Grossi noted Iran informed him on 13 June it had taken measures to protect nuclear materials — raising the possibility that uranium was relocated before the bombings. A senior diplomat cautioned that verifying the fate of enriched stocks will require extended forensic and environmental analysis. Analysts highlight that these uncertainties, coupled with Iran's growing 60 percent enriched uranium stockpile — now surpassed 400 kg — raise proliferation concerns. Iran stands as the only non-nuclear-weapons state to produce such highly enriched material. The crisis threatens to undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Experts warn that Iran's rejection of oversight and potential expansion of enrichment capabilities could erode confidence in international safeguards and spark similar behaviour in other states. Tehran counters that it remains compliant with its obligations, defending the withdrawal as a sovereignty measure and accusing the IAEA of complicity in aggression. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov urged Iran to maintain IAEA cooperation. German officials echoed this sentiment, appealing for de-escalation and finer calibration. U.S. and Israeli intelligence contend the strikes brought Iran's enrichment efforts to a standstill, yet stop short of describing them as complete obliteration. Donald Trump claimed the attacks eliminated any need for a new nuclear deal, yet leaked U.S. intelligence suggests only a short-term delay of a few months. Disruption of IAEA activities follows a pattern of mounting distrust. The agency censure on 12 June marked the first formal finding of non-compliance by Iran in two decades. Tehran subsequently announced expansion of enrichment infrastructure, including a third site and advanced centrifuges. This standoff adds complexity to diplomatic efforts. Indirect U.S.–Iran negotiations held from April to June in Oman and Rome collapsed when Israel struck nuclear facilities on 13 June. Although Washington has signalled readiness to resume dialogue, Iran's decision to suspend IAEA cooperation adds another layer of mistrust. The prospect of tracking uranium movements amid top-secret relocation efforts, inaccessible bombed sites, and blocked communications has created a labyrinthine challenge. Inspectors and intelligence agencies alike face a 'cat-and-mouse' hunt for clarity in rubble and uncertainty. Continued monitoring and a potential return to diplomatic channels will be vital in determining whether the inspection suspension is temporary or signals a more fundamental shift in Iran's nuclear stance.
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
UAE, China explore cooperation in energy, infrastructure
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of Adnoc, and Chairman of Masdar, conducted a working visit to the People's Republic of China, where he met with senior Chinese government officials as well as top executives from leading Chinese companies. The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in energy, renewable energy, industry, and infrastructure. During the visit, Dr Al Jaber met with Lan Fo'an, China's Minister of Finance, and Liu Jianchao, Head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (CPC) of China, and Zou Jiayi, President of AIIB in the presence of Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to China. Dr Al Jaber emphasised the UAE's unwavering commitment to strengthening and expanding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China, and the importance of launching new initiatives that support the development goals of both nations, with a focus on empowering national companies and enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors, in a way that supports mutual sustainable economic growth and prosperity. Dr Al Jaber held a series of meetings with senior leaders from major Chinese companies, including Wang Yuetao, Chairman of ZhenHua Oil, Liao Zengtai, Chairman of Wanhua, a leading chemicals manufacturing company; Liu Haoling, President of the China Investment Corporation (CIC); Dai Houliang, Chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), one of the world's largest energy and petrochemical companies; Zhang Chuanjiang, Chairman of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC); Zhang Lei, Chairman of Envision, specialising in renewables and smart energy management solutions; Song Hailiang, Chairman of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), active in energy and infrastructure projects. The meetings focused on the latest developments in cooperation across energy sectors, including renewables, oil and gas, LNG, refining, and petrochemicals, as well as strategic shipping and storage. They also explored ways to enhance investments in priority areas of mutual interest and potential industrial infrastructure projects, in line with both countries' shared interest to advancing industrial and technological partnerships that support sustainable development, facilitate knowledge transfer and localisation, and boost global competitiveness. China remains the UAE's largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade exceeding US$100 billion in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7%, driven primarily by an 18% increase in imports. In the first quarter of 2025, non-oil trade between the two countries grew by approximately 18% compared to the same period last year, supported by a 32.5% rise in exports, a 20.2% increase in re-exports, and a 12.7% growth in imports.
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Trump says Israel has agreed to 'necessary conditions' to finalize a 60-day ceasefire
President Donald Trump annpunced Israel has agreed to "the necessary conditions to finalize" a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza on a post on his Truth Social account on Tuesday. Trump said he would use this period to work with all parties "to end the War". He also threatened Hamas if they did not accept the deal, saying "it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE".
