Abraham Accords
US-brokered normalisation agreements signed in 2020 establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states including the UAE and Bahrain.
Last refreshed: 29 March 2026
Can Gulf states sustain Israeli ties under Iranian fire?
Timeline for Abraham Accords
Mentioned in: UAE Dismantles IRGC Networks on Its Soil
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Al-Aqsa sealed for Eid; first since 1967
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Debris hits 400m from al-Aqsa Mosque
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: UAE tallies 1,919 intercepts in 17 days
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Netanyahu taps Dermer, rejects Aoun
Iran Conflict 2026- What are the Abraham Accords?
- US-brokered normalisation agreements signed in September 2020 establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states, beginning with the UAE and Bahrain.Source: entity
- Which countries signed the Abraham Accords?
- Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. The UAE and Bahrain signed first in September 2020.Source: entity
- How has Iran responded to the Abraham Accords?
- Iran condemned the Accords and, during the 2026 conflict, struck Bahrain and UAE infrastructure, framing signatory states as legitimate military targets.Source: entity
- Are the Abraham Accords still in effect?
- Formally yes, though sustained Iranian strikes on Bahrain and UAE have placed them under severe political and military stress in 2026.Source: entity
- What did the Abraham Accords mean for Palestine?
- The Palestinian Authority rejected them as a betrayal, arguing that Arab states normalised with Israel without securing any concessions on Palestinian statehood.Source: entity
Background
The Accords were originally brokered by Donald Trump in September 2020, normalising relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. They bypassed the Palestinian question deliberately, offering Arab states economic and security benefits in exchange for recognition, and were condemned by Iran as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause. Sudan and Morocco followed in late 2020.
The Abraham Accords are under acute stress as Iran pursues a deliberate strategy of punishing signatory states. Bahrain absorbed direct missile strikes on the Israeli embassy compound and on civilian infrastructure , while the United Arab Emirates intercepted a sustained barrage, logging 1,900 intercepts over seventeen days .
The Accords now function as a fault line rather than a foundation.Benjamin Netanyahu's government has pressed signatories to hold the line , yet Iran's targeting of Gulf infrastructure tests whether Arab governments can sustain normalisation under sustained military pressure from a regional adversary.
