The four states have suspended all flights to and from Doha and given all Qatari citizens two weeks to return home. Qatar has denied the allegations. Soon after, there were hacking incidents aimed at the Qatar News Agency (QNA), which saw rising tensions by disclosing sympathetic statements by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani toward Iran and Hezbollah, which were officially rejected, but still spread by some circles as facts.
Trump's broadside Tuesday against Qatar, which plays a major role in USA military efforts in the Mideast, arrived as an early-morning shock to US officials.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Maldives cut off ties with Qatar. "The embassy of India is monitoring the situation closely and is in touch with the Qatari authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in Qatar", an official statement said.
US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and other officials pose for a group photo during the Arabic Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21, 2017.
S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday (Jun 7) cut Qatar's credit rating by one notch to AA- and put it on watch for further downgrades after Gulf Arab states severed ties. Home to some 10,000 troops, Al Udeid is central to the US-led fight against the Daesh terror group in Iraq and Syria. The governments of Egypt and Saudi Arabia also strongly suggested that Al-Jazeera ease up on criticizing certain governments, such as those of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Foreigners residing in Qatar and in possession of a Qatari residence visa would also not be eligible for visa on arrival in the UAE, Etihad spokesman said in an email. (A tweet from the QNA account had quoted Qatar's foreign minister as saying the country was recalling its ambassadors from neighbouring countries, including Saudi Arabia).
Death toll rises to 16 in Iran terror attacks
The IS group's Aamaq news agency released a 24-second video purportedly shot inside the parliament building during the siege. That was notable because of the deep distrust between Tehran and Washington , which don't have diplomatic relations.
In a sharp contrast to Trump's tone and messaging, Tillerson called on Gulf nations to de-escalate the crisis with Qatar, citing humanitarian, economic and military costs.
The Saudi Press Agency on Monday accused Qatari officials of repeatedly violating "their worldwide obligations and the agreements they signed under the umbrella of the Gulf Cooperation Council for Arab States to cease hostilities against [Saudi Arabia] and stand against terrorist activities". "Iran benefits from any issue or crisis between its neighbors", he said, pointing out that Doha enjoys "fine" relations with Tehran and shares a large gas field. This vast and strategically important field holds a larger natural gas reserve than all other listed reserves combined.
"They said they would take a hard line on funding... extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar".
Doha has for years forged its own alliances in the region, often diverging from the politics of the six-state GCC and taking in leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Hamas and members of the Afghan Taliban.
"This is not about regime change-this is about change of policy, change of approach", U.A.E. state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said in an interview with AFP.
Qatar's satellite news giant Al Jazeera has also emerged as a point of contention in the Gulf.
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