U.S. Expects More Arab States to Seek Peace With Israel
'Pretty big announcements' on the horizon, says U.S. Special Envoy
There could be a flurry of peace accords between Arab nations and Israel in the coming year. That’s the assessment of U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff speaking with CNBC on Wednesday.Sudan signs historic Abraham Accords with U.S. and Israel
In the wide-ranging interview he expressed optimism about the prospects for a comprehensive peace agreement in the Middle East, signaling ongoing dialogue with Iran and hinting at new countries joining the Abraham Accords.
His comments come as the Iran-Israel ceasefire brokered by Trump on Monday continued to hold.
A deal with Tehran would be a “renaissance” for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the region and the world, said Witkoff.
The envoy also suggested that the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states, may soon see significant expansion.
“We think we’re going to have some pretty big announcements on countries that are now coming into the Abraham peace accords, and we’re hoping for normalization across an array of countries that maybe people would have never contemplated would come in. So we’re excited for that prospect. That will also be a stabilizer in the Middle East,” said Witkoff.
READ: Why observers are saying Israel’s victory over Iran was stunning
Addressing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Witkoff reiterated the U.S. position on enrichment and weaponization: “That’s for sure the red line. That’s always been the red line. Enrichment is the red line and beyond enrichment, weaponization is the red line. We can’t have weaponization. That will destabilize the entire region. Everyone will then need a bomb and we just can’t have that.”
Witkoff went on to say that with Iran’s nuclear program destroyed, international monitoring is essential to bring stability. We must understand that this “is better for the region. This is better for the economic progress of all the nations in the region, including Iran. So this is a good thing, this is a positive thing for everybody. We just don’t need to have conflict in that region anymore.”
JNS.org | Used with permission. Edited by Metro Voice
