India, May 25 -- As American and Iranian negotiators inch toward a deal to end months of conflict, President Donald Trump has dramatically raised the stakes, demanding that a clutch of Muslim-majority nations formally recognise Israel by joining the Abraham Accords as part of any final settlement.

For Pakistan, as it is for several others named by Trump on Monday, the demand is a wedge between Washington's expectations and domestic political reality.

In a lengthy Truth Social post on Monday, Trump declared it "mandatory" that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan sign onto the Abraham Accords simultaneously as part of an Iran peace deal.

"It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and every...