Kuwait May Join Abraham Accords Amid Iran Threat, Envoy Suggests

Kuwait is reportedly considering closer ties with Israel, potentially joining the Abraham Accords, a significant shift given its historically hardline stance against the Jewish state. This speculation follows remarks by Israel's Ambassador to the UAE, Yossi Shelley, who suggested in a September 15 interview that another country might join the accords within four to six months, hinting it could be Kuwait. Shelley presented this as his assessment of regional changes rather than confirmed negotiations.

A primary driver for this potential policy change appears to be the escalating threat from Iran, which has conducted missile and drone attacks in the region, including against Kuwait. Israeli orientalist Ibrahim Musa believes these Iranian actions could push Kuwait to re-evaluate its long-standing policy toward Israel, noting that Gulf states increasingly view Israel as a security partner, not just an economic one.

Recent events underscore growing Israel-Arab military cooperation against Iran. A closed-door meeting in Germany, organized by the U.S. Central Command, brought together senior military officials from Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt, with the Iranian threat a key agenda item.

For Kuwait, normalizing relations with Israel would represent a major foreign policy reversal. The country has not signed the Abraham Accords and maintains legal restrictions boycotting Israel, necessitating both diplomatic and legislative changes for normalization. While Israel Hayom reported on September 16 potential signs of revising some restrictions, public comments by Shelley have reportedly caused discontent in Kuwait, complicating the process.

Historically, Kuwait has held a much stricter position on Israel than the UAE or Bahrain, even participating in the 1973 war against Israel. The current Iranian threat, affecting multiple regional states, has created a new strategic landscape. Musa suggests that cooperation with Israel offers Arab monarchies an advantage, as Israel does not compete for leadership within the Arab world, unlike historical attempts at pan-Arab alliances.

If Kuwait normalizes ties, it would further integrate another Gulf monarchy into the Abraham Accords framework, strengthening Israel's regional security and intelligence cooperation with Arab nations against Iran.