Capitalizing On The Abraham Accords Will Weaken Iran’s Pernicious Influence

The 2020 Abraham Accords entailed diplomatic recognition agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kosovo.

Unfortunately, this progress is being undermined by the Biden Administration’s effort to renegotiate a nuclear deal with Iran. That effort communicates to Saudi Arabia and the UAE a U.S. willingness to empower Tehran. They fear the advent of an Iranian nuclear weapon almost as much as Israel does.

Top line: if the U.S. says that Iran is our enemy, we must act like Iran is our enemy. We should not be calling out Iran publicly and simultaneously, if secretly, trying to reach a new nuclear deal with its leaders. This duplicity not only displays weakness, it shows dishonesty towards regional partners who place great cultural value in trust. Moreover, the Abraham Accords make a far better diplomatic template than a renewed Iranian nuclear deal.

55% of the population of the Middle East is under the age of 30. That’s a population which will need jobs and opportunity if the scourge of terrorist influences is to be obstructed. Fortunately, entrepreneurship is growing. There has also been a 163% increase in trade value between Israel and the UAE since August 2021. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are also critical U.S. counter-terrorism allies. And from a cultural standpoint, the Accords are fostering intercultural friendships, diplomatic exchanges, and tourism. We have already seen delegations of Americans and Israeli Jews and Arabs coming to the UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain; and Emiratis, Bahrainis, and Moroccans coming to Israel.

The Burj Khalifa in the UAE is currently the tallest building in the world at about 830 meters. Still, Saudi Arabia is constructing a building that is over 900 meters tall, and the UAE has now decided to build another tower that is over 1,000 meters tall. This ambition speaks to something: the Middle East could have a future of trade and innovation, cultural exchange, and mutual security. Supporting the Abraham Accords makes much more sense than playing to Iran’s brinkmanship.