Trump dangles normalisation amid pro-Israel criticism of possible Iran deal

Since reports of a possible deal with Iran started to emerge, pro-Israel advocates in the United States have been warning President Donald Trump against signing the agreement. Hawkish figures, including some prominent senators, have voiced opposition to any deal that fails to remove or at least severely weaken Iran’s political leadership and destroy its military powers. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list But after Trump floated the prospect of more Arab countries establishing formal relations with Israel as part of the agreement, some of the critical voices softened their tone. US Senator Lindsey Graham was among those politicians. On Saturday, Graham — a vocal proponent of the war — warned that ending the conflict in order to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be a “nightmare” for Israel. “It is important we get this right,” he wrote in a social media post on Saturday that was shared by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a US lobbying group. Two days later, on Monday, Trump said it “should be mandatory” for countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan to set up diplomatic relations with Israel as part of a US agreement with Iran. Graham then praised the push, calling Trump’s diplomatic manoeuvre “simply brilliant”. “With Saudi Arabia and others like Pakistan making peace with Israel, the region will know a level of stability never dreamed of before President Trump,” the senator wrote on the social media platform X. …