Trump Seeks to Include Azerbaijan in Abraham Accords Amid Peace Talks with Armenia

U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly working to bring Azerbaijan and several Central Asian nations into the Abraham Accords — a landmark series of agreements normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states — despite Azerbaijan’s already close ties with Israel. This push coincides with renewed efforts to broker peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which Trump reportedly sees as a prerequisite for Azerbaijan’s accession to the accords.

The Abraham Accords were launched in 2020 under U.S. mediation, initially bringing the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain into formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Sudan and Morocco later joined, signaling a shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics. Expanding the accords has been a stated priority of the Trump administration, with the State Department affirming efforts to include more countries.

According to Reuters, discussions about Azerbaijan’s possible inclusion are the most structured and serious among several candidates. Two anonymous sources suggest a deal could materialize within weeks. However, three other sources stress that Trump regards a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia as a necessary “precondition” for Azerbaijan joining the accords.

The two countries reportedly agreed on peace terms in March 2023, but Azerbaijan introduced additional preconditions that stalled progress. Armenian officials claim Azerbaijan’s conditions include demands such as constitutional amendments removing Armenian territorial claims and a formal request to disband the OSCE Minsk Group.

Trump expressed optimism on July 19, stating that the U.S. had “worked magic” in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, emphasizing that peace was “pretty close, if not already done.” Sources confirmed to Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu that Armenia and Azerbaijan plan to announce their peace intentions in Washington, with Trump expected to host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House on August 8.

Azerbaijan has maintained strong diplomatic and military ties with Israel for years, united by shared regional interests, notably countering Iran’s influence. This existing partnership raises questions about the practical impact of Azerbaijan formally joining the Abraham Accords. Analysts suggest that Azerbaijan’s inclusion may be largely symbolic, signaling broader regional shifts rather than altering the existing strategic balance.

The U.S. State Department reiterated its commitment to expanding the Abraham Accords, citing it as a key foreign policy goal. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani government declined to comment on the ongoing discussions.

As peace talks progress and diplomatic efforts intensify, the potential inclusion of Azerbaijan in the Abraham Accords represents both a diplomatic milestone and a complex geopolitical development in the South Caucasus region.