Washington – August 2, 2025:
Former US President Donald Trump’s team is actively engaged in behind-the-scenes talks to expand the Abraham Accords, with Azerbaijan and several Central Asian nations being considered as potential new signatories. The move is aimed at deepening diplomatic and strategic ties with Israel, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed.
Talks with Azerbaijan are reportedly the most advanced, though they remain entangled in the country’s ongoing tensions with neighboring Armenia. According to three insiders, a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan is viewed by Trump’s circle as a critical condition for Azerbaijan’s inclusion in the accords.
While countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan already maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, the expansion of the Abraham Accords would be more symbolic than groundbreaking. It would focus on broadening partnerships in areas such as military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and trade.
The Abraham Accords, brokered during Trump’s first term in 2020 and 2021, originally brought together Israel and four Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East and Africa. However, efforts to broaden the coalition now face fresh challenges — primarily due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. With over 60,000 reported deaths, including many women and children, the war has intensified public outrage across the Muslim world and beyond.
Growing international frustration is evident: countries like Canada, the UK, and France have recently moved closer to recognizing an independent Palestinian state — a shift that further complicates Trump’s push to bring new Muslim-majority nations into the fold.
Still, Trump’s team appears determined. His special envoy for peace efforts, Steve Witkoff, visited Baku in March for high-level discussions with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Later in the spring, Aryeh Lightstone, a close aide to Witkoff, also traveled to Azerbaijan to follow up on the progress — with the Abraham Accords being a key topic of conversation, according to three sources.
Azerbaijan, in turn, has reached out to officials in Central Asian nations — including Kazakhstan — to explore the possibility of a broader regional alignment under the Abraham Accords umbrella.
Two sources suggested that if progress continues at the current pace, a deal with Azerbaijan could potentially be reached within weeks or months. But others remain cautious, noting that without resolution of the Armenia dispute and a shift in the broader Middle East climate, success is far from guaranteed.
