Ernst Builds Upon Trump’s Successful Abraham Accords in Defense Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, secured three provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to strengthen the partnership among the Accords nations.

“In the face of increased Iranian aggression, it is essential we build upon the Abraham Accords and not let them unravel,” said Senator Ernst. “It is evident that the foundation President Trump built through these historic agreements is strong, and we must continue to equip our partners to combat the threats they continue to face. When we stand with our partners and allies, we make the world a safer place by confronting Tehran with its greatest fear: peace.”

Ernst’s provisions to counter Iranian aggression include:

• The AI ACCORD Act to increase advanced technology network capabilities across Abraham Accords partners and ensure they will be able to combat Iran and its proxies’ use of cyber and artificial intelligence tools.
• The LINK Act to build further cooperation and trust with Abraham Accords nations by connecting strategic, operational, and tactical senior commanders between our Middle East partners’ armed forces to boost regional security and military readiness.
• The STARS Act to take the Abraham Accords network to space by improving satellite security coordination in the Middle East.

Now that both the Senate and the House have passed the NDAA for FY2025, this will head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Background:

Ernst introduced and passed into law the DEFEND Act and MARITIME Act to counter Iran on land and at sea.

On October 7, 2023, Ernst was in the Middle East and went into Israel just days after Iran-backed Hamas’ attacks to show her support for our ally. Since then, she has returned to the region three additional times to keep up the pressure to bring the hostages home, stand with Israel, and hold Biden accountable to his “ironclad” commitment to our greatest ally in the Middle East.

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