Both decisions were relayed through state-run media. They accused it of supporting terrorism, a charge that Qatar denies.
In the 6.00am call, he denied Qatar's emir made comments reported by the state-run news agency criticising hostility to Iran, sympathising with three Islamist groups, accusing Saudi Arabia of adopting an extremist ideology that fosters terrorism and suggesting Donald Trump may not last long as U.S. president. "Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!" the president wrote. "They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar".
Qatar confirmed the call, saying Trump "expressed readiness to find a solution to the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, and stressed his keenness that the Gulf remains stable". "It is trying to describe this as an issue about the independence of their foreign policy, and it is not", Gargash said.
An annual phone call to mark the start of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan between Tamim and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on May 27 aggravated the situation further.
"And we hope that our brother Qatar will now take the right steps in order to end this crisis".
Since the diplomatic row erupted, slogans against and in support of Qatar have been among the top topics discussed on Twitter in Arabic, which is a hugely popular medium of expression in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia. "We are certain this crisis will not last for long", he said.
Comey calls it 'significant' that Trump wanted private Oval Office meeting
Trumps' son, Donald Trump Jr meanwhile, in a series of tweets, attacked the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director. Rosenstein, who was aware that Comey was about to be fired , authored the memo that the White House used in the firing.
Traders on global markets anxious that Riyadh's allies would refuse to accept LNG shipments from the Gulf state, the world's largest liquefied natural gas exporter, and that Egypt might even bar tankers carrying Qatari cargoes from using the Suez Canal.
But the crisis hit the Gulf country at a time when its economy was starting to face some headwinds amid the drop in global commodity prices.
Qatar has said it will not retaliate for the curbs.
Trump´s call to Qatari ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a key USA ally, came as a senior Emirati official told AFP that Gulf Arab states were not seeking regime change in Doha. "The situation has escalated to a point that it is hard to imagine" Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates "backing down without Qatari capitulation or regime change", he said.
Qatar's stock index was roughly unchanged after plummeting 8.7 percent over the last two days. The measure tumbled more than 7 percent on Monday, the most since 2009.
"The President underscored that a united Gulf Cooperation Council is critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability", according to a readout of the conversation released by the White House. But since the country's consumption is around 100,000 tons a year, it can source from elsewhere, the report said. "You can live with it but you are not going to be part of what we want to do and so you can't have both worlds".



Comments