Translation result.
A report says Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, erupted in anger after U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Riyadh to sign the Abraham Accords, which would normalize relations with Israel.
On the 26th (local time), the British daily The Times reported that Trump repeatedly urged Middle Eastern leaders during recent phone calls to join the Abraham Accords, and that bin Salman expressed strong displeasure.
The Abraham Accords were a series of agreements brokered by the U.S. during Trump’s first term that normalized ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Since returning to office, Trump has sought to expand the accords to include other major Middle Eastern states, including Saudi Arabia.
According to the report, Trump raised the issue again during a conference call with Saudi and other regional leaders on the 23rd.
But bin Salman reportedly reacted with significant fatigue and anger at the repeated pressure. A source told The Times that “the crown prince was furious, saying he had already told President Trump ‘no’ 100 times and expects to have to say it another 100 times.”
Under the Biden administration, Saudi Arabia previously considered normalizing relations with Israel on the condition of a U.S.-Saudi defense agreement.
Those negotiations made substantial progress but ultimately stalled when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to provide clear guarantees regarding recognition of a Palestinian state.
Today, Saudi Arabia conditions normalization on Israel presenting a concrete, irreversible roadmap toward establishing a Palestinian state. Israel has not accepted that demand.
The Gaza war and recent tensions with Iran have deepened anti-Israel sentiment inside Saudi Arabia, adding another complicating factor. The Times noted that while Iran is widely seen as a regional threat, many now also view Israel as a potential catalyst that could draw the United States into conflict.
Sanam Vakil, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the British think tank Chatham House, dismissed Trump’s pressure as “a typically Trumpian approach and a demand that shows no sense of the mood.”
© Dailian Co., Ltd. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited
- [June 3 pick] The People Power Party calls Lee Jae-myung’s visit to Busan’s Jagalchi Market “blatant election interference”
- New Samsung union vs. veteran Hyundai strikers: a 39-year gap in bargaining tactics
- Jang Dong-hyuk: “If you oppose a Starbucks boycott, does that make you an Ilbe member? … The ruling party is resorting to color-politics again”
- Disappointment hit faster than a 0–100 km/h sprint: Ferrari shares plunged after the debut of its first electric car
- U.S.: “Global 10% tariffs could be reimposed after they expire in July”
Most Commented