Nicolai HaugstedTrump’s latest comment is leaving people speachless.
Diplomatic negotiations involving Iran, Israel and several Arab states intensified over the weekend after leaked details from a call between Donald Trump and Middle Eastern leaders triggered fresh tensions across the region.
According to reports from Axios and Express, the US president told leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey that progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz would depend on broader recognition of Israel by Arab governments.
Long pauses reportedly followed Trump’s remarks during the conversation, with several leaders remaining silent after the demand was raised.
“Are they still there?” Trump reportedly joked after the silence on the call.
Further discussions on regional normalisation are expected in the coming weeks. Trump reportedly told participants that advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would continue negotiations tied to diplomatic recognition of Israel.
Peace Talks Face New Obstacles
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran slowed again on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Disputes surrounding Iran’s uranium reserves and access to frozen financial assets remain among the biggest sticking points in ongoing talks.
Pressure from Washington increased further after Trump published a post on Truth Social showing himself speaking on the phone with a cartoon militant figure alongside the warning that he “will blow s*** up.”
Earlier comments from the US president suggested either a major diplomatic breakthrough or renewed military escalation.
“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!” Trump wrote.
Tehran Signals Resistance
Iranian officials responded with tougher rhetoric only hours after Trump’s latest public statements.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, said Iranian forces had shown “fierce resistance and pinned the enemy to the ground.”
“Now more than ever, the country needs unity and cohesion so that the Americans and Zionists will also be disappointed in this regard,” he added.
Meetings involving senior Iranian officials and Qatar’s prime minister also took place in Doha during the weekend. Iranian representatives were joined by the governor of the country’s central bank as discussions continued over frozen assets and wider peace negotiations.
Abraham Accords Return to Centre Stage
Trump also used the discussions to promote further expansion of the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations during his previous administration.
“It would be something special” for Iran to join the agreements, Trump said according to the leaked details from the conversation.
“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,” Trump added.
Growing uncertainty surrounding the negotiations has continued to affect regional stability and global energy markets, particularly because the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil exports.
