Steve Witkoff: Up to 10 Countries Could Join Abraham Accords by Year-End

WASHINGTON — The Abraham Accords might be about to get a lot bigger. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, told Fox News over the weekend that up to 10 more countries could sign onto the peace framework before 2025 ends.

“We believe that we will make some very big announcements regarding the countries that will join the Abraham Accords,” Witkoff said during Saturday’s interview. He wouldn’t say which countries are in talks, but his confidence suggests serious negotiations are already happening behind closed doors.

The timing is interesting, given everything that’s been going on in Syria lately. Deadly fighting broke out in Suwayda province on July 13, raising concerns about regional stability. But Witkoff seemed upbeat about even that situation, saying the tensions “are already on their way to resolution.” That suggests American diplomats have been working overtime to calm things down.

Diplomatic Channels Open Between Syria and Israel

Further signaling diplomatic thaw, a confidential meeting between Syrian and Israeli delegations took place in Paris over the weekend, reportedly mediated by the United States. According to Syrian state media, the talks focused on reactivating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and containing recent escalations. While no concrete agreements emerged, both sides expressed openness to continuing dialogue.

The talks were reportedly attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, with confirmation from U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, who shared updates via X (formerly Twitter).

A Structured Expansion of the Accords

As diplomatic activity intensifies, influential analysts are highlighting the scope and ambition of the Abraham Accords’ evolution. UAE-based commentator Ahmed Sharif Al Amri stated in a widely circulated post on X that more than eight nations are actively preparing military coordination, economic frameworks, and shared infrastructure as part of the Accords’ architecture.

“The map is being redrawn, one accord at a time,” Al Amri wrote, noting that trade, technology, and defense cooperation are already being mapped out.

His remarks were amplified by Dr. J. Peter Pham, former U.S. Special Envoy to Africa and current Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council, who called the anticipated expansion a “vindication of U.S. peace-through-strength diplomacy” and a blessing for long-term regional stability. Read his comments here.

A Global Shift in Muslim-Jewish Cooperation

Originally launched in September 2020 at the White House under the Trump administration, the Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and later other Arab states. What began as a bold step in Middle Eastern diplomacy is now evolving into a global coalition of moderate Muslim-majority nations aligning with Israel and the West.

Adding new members to the Accords would deepen regional cooperation, expand security partnerships, and send a powerful signal to actors like Tehran that extremism and hostility are being replaced by pragmatism and peace.

From White House Ceremony to Global Movement

Adding 10 more countries would represent the biggest expansion since the Accords began. If Witkoff’s predictions pan out, we could see nations from Central Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia joining what started as a regional Middle Eastern initiative.

For countries like Iran, which have built their foreign policy around opposing Israel and the U.S., this kind of expansion would be a clear signal that their approach is losing ground to pragmatic engagement.

What Comes Next

If Witkoff’s projections hold true, the world may witness the most significant expansion of the Abraham Accords since their inception. The inclusion of countries from Central Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia would represent a tectonic shift in diplomatic alignments and further validate the original vision of the Accords: a peace rooted in mutual respect, economic interdependence, and regional stability.

The original vision of the Abraham Accords was pretty straightforward: build peace through mutual economic interests and practical cooperation rather than just signing papers and hoping for the best. If 10 more countries do join by year-end, it would suggest that approach is resonating far beyond the Middle East.