Unexpected countries will normalise ties with Israel: US envoy Steve Witkoff

US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that countries once thought unlikely to join the Abraham Peace Accords with Israel may soon do so, with the Trump administration actively working to expand the initiative.

Interviewing CNBS, Steve Witkoff highlighted the significant need to expand the Abraham Peace Accords to other countries across the world and declared it as one of the key priorities of the US President. 

“Well, one of the President’s key objectives of the Abraham Peace Accord is to expand it to more countries. And we are working on that, my team is in coordination with the secretary of state and the entire state,” Witkoff said while highlighting US efforts for Israel's recognition.

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Witkoff believed US efforts were becoming fruitful, and there would be a “big announcement on countries that are now coming into the Abraham Peace Accords.”

"We are hoping for normalisation across an array of countries that people never would have contemplated would come in, so we are excited for that prospect; it will also be a stabilizer in the Middle East," he added.

He made a similar prediction at an Israel Independence Day event last month. “We think [we] will have some, or a lot of announcements, very, very shortly, which we hope will yield great progress by next year.”

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The Abraham Accords, signed at the White House in 2020, marked a significant breakthrough in US Middle East diplomacy under President Donald Trump. 

The agreements paved the way for Israel to establish peace deals with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. Additionally, Israel began normalising relations with Sudan, although Sudan's internal unrest hindered full normalisation. 

The Accords showcased a new era of diplomatic efforts in the region, highlighting the potential for improved relations between Israel and its Arab counterparts.