US President Donald Trump's renewed diplomatic push to expand the Abraham Accords has placed Pakistan and Bangladesh under heightened international scrutiny, according to an analysis published in The Jerusalem Post. Trump has called on a bloc of Muslim-majority nations — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates — to 'simultaneously' sign the Accords as part of broader regional stabilisation efforts following the Iran conflict.

The Geopolitical Stakes for South Asia

The Abraham Accords are increasingly emerging as a defining geopolitical contest that extends well beyond the Middle East into South Asia, according to Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, Editor of Bangladeshi newspaper Blitz, writing in The Jerusalem Post. Choudhury argues that nations such as Pakistan and Bangladesh now find themselves caught between deep internal ideological pressures and rising strategic expectations from Washington.

'Trump's call for several Muslim-majority countries to normalise ties with Israel has already generated visible discomfort in Islamabad, where political leaders are attempting to balance strategic relations with Washington against deeply rooted domestic support for the Palestinian cause. The issue is now emerging as a major geopolitical test for South Asia's Muslim-majority nations,' Choudhury wrote.

Pakistan's Difficult Position

The report warns that the White House's pressure could leave Pakistan in an 'extraordinarily difficult position' — one where domestic political realities, ideological sensitivities, and geopolitical calculations directly clash with American strategic expectations. While Trump has reportedly maintained warm ties with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the analysis suggests that demanding Islamabad normalise ties with Israel 'may fundamentally alter this strategic equation.'

Choudhury further cautioned that Trump's push could lead to a 'potentially explosive confrontation' with Pakistan and other influential Muslim-majority nations if the pressure is sustained without diplomatic accommodation.

Domestic Pushback in Pakistan

The report highlights that any move toward recognising Israel risks triggering a sharp domestic backlash in Pakistan, given widespread public support for the Palestinian cause and persistent opposition from religious and political groups who insist normalisation cannot proceed without an independent Palestinian state.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was cited as having publicly criticised the idea, questioning Israel's credibility: 'How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?' The report noted that such statements signal Pakistan is 'currently unwilling to publicly bow to American pressure, despite its growing strategic closeness with the Trump administration.'

Bangladesh Drawn Into the Equation

Bangladesh's position has also come under the spotlight. According to the report, at Islamabad's quiet persuasion, Iran and Palestinian authorities reportedly requested Bangladesh to reimpose restrictions on Israeli travel in Bangladeshi passports — a development that underscores how Pakistan is allegedly working to keep other Muslim-majority nations aligned against normalisation with Israel.

This comes amid a broader pattern of Washington testing the limits of its post-Abraham Accords diplomatic architecture, which has so far seen only a handful of Arab states formally normalise ties with Israel since 2020. The inclusion of South Asian nations in this framework marks a significant escalation of scope.

What Happens Next

Analysts will be watching whether the Trump administration follows its call with concrete diplomatic incentives or coercive pressure. For Pakistan, the calculus involves not just Washington but also domestic electoral politics, the military establishment's calculations, and the broader Muslim world's response. How Bangladesh navigates its own passport and trade policies toward Israel is also expected to draw continued scrutiny in the weeks ahead.