Trump asked Muslim leaders to sign peace deal with Israel after Iran war ends

President Trump told leaders of several Arab and other Muslim countries during a Saturday conference call that if a deal to end the Iran war is achieved he wants their nations to sign peace agreements with Israel, per two U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the call. Why it matters: Trump's remarks on Israel and the countries signing onto the Abraham Accords during the call signal the next big step he wants to take in the Middle East after the war . Trump is aiming mostly at a historic Saudi-Israeli peace agreement, but the current political climate in the region and the upcoming Israeli election make any near term breakthrough extremely difficult. Driving the news: On Saturday, Trump held a phone call with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to discuss the emerging deal with Iran. Leaders including UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, who has had a more hawkish view on the Iran war, said they support it. "They all said we are with you on this deal. And if it doesn't work we will be with you too," a U.S. official said. Behind the scenes: A U.S. official with knowledge of the conversation said Trump told the leaders that he would call Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu next and stressed that he hoped that in the near future Israel's leader would be on the same call. Trump told the leaders that after the war with Iran ends he expects all of them who are still not part of the Abraham Accords or don't have peace agreements with Israel to join and normalize relations with the Jewish state, two U.S. officials said. The leaders, especially those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan who don't have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, were surprised by Trump's request. "There was silence on the line and Trump joked and asked if they are still there," one of the U.S. officials said. Trump then told the leaders that his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will follo...

Original source: Axios