Two years ago Sunday, Sudan became the third Arab state to normalize ties with Israel in the framework of the Abraham Accords. The second-largest country in Africa by area, Sudan recently rid itself of a brutal Islamist despotism and is moving unsteadily toward realignment with the West. Alberto M. Fernandez—in conversation with Robert Nicholson—delves into the country’s history, explains its current complexities, and discusses its relationship with Israel. In his view, the religious rhetoric connected to the Abraham Accords, and embedded in their name, is a necessary counterweight to the Islamic rhetoric that for decades has been used to delegitimize the Jewish state. He also addresses how peace with Israel can militate against authoritarianism’s hold on the Middle East. (Audio, 69 minutes.)

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.