Arab states cut Qatar ties in major diplomatic crisis
Iran urges ‘ dialogue’ to solve current problems
Arab nations including Saudi Arabia and Egypt on Monday cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit the region in years.
Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Maldives joined Saudi Arabia and Egypt in severing relations with gas- rich Qatar, with Riyadh accusing Doha of supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, “that aim to destabilize the region.”
Qatar reacted with fury, denying any support for extremists and accusing its Gulf neighbors of seeking to put the country under “guardianship.”
The crisis was likely to have wideranging consequences, not just for Qatar and its citizens but around the Middle East and for Western interests.
Qatar hosts the largest US airbase in the region, which is crucial to operations against Islamic State group jihadists, and is set to host the 2022 football World Cup.
Monday’s announcement came less than a month after US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to cement ties with Riyadh and called for a united front among Muslim countries against extremism.
It also followed weeks of rising tensions between Doha and its neighbors, including Qatari accusations of a concerted media campaign against it and the alleged hacking of the Qatar News Agency.
The Gulf states and Egypt said they were severing diplomatic ties and closing transport links with Qatar, which relies on imports from its neighbors.
The Gulf states banned their citi- zens from traveling to Qatar and ordered Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days.
Saudi Arabia also closed its borders with Qatar, effectively blocking food and other supplies exported by land to Qatar.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday urged Qatar and neighboring Gulf Arab countries that have severed diplomatic ties with the gas- rich peninsula to engage in dialogue.
“The solution to differences between states in the region, including the current problem between Qatar and its three neighbors, is only possible through political and peaceful methods and dialogue between the parties,” spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi said in a
statement.
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Libya and the Maldives cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing the country of supporting terrorism and interfering in internal politics. Disturbances have emerged in the Arabian world once again. The latest incident stemmed from a report that Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani called for improved ties with Iran and criticized some gulf Arab countries. The Qataris denied the report, insisting the Qatar state news agency was hacked. But the explanation was rejected by Saudi Arabia.
As a country with a small population but rich natural gas and oil reserves, Qatar aspires to have a certain influence in the region. It hosts the wellknown Al Jazeera TV station and will host the World Cup in 2022.
Qatar has long had a complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia, but kept close ties with Iran and is sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization listed by Egypt. Obviously Qatar is somewhat a nonconformist Arabic country.
The incident, all of a sudden, displays some deep- rooted disputes in the Middle East and Arabian world, for example, the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, disapproval toward the Muslim Brotherhood and whether the information and values carried by Al Jazeera are suitable.
The Middle East has repeatedly staged plots in which several countries break off ties with another country collectively. This is a relatively mild eruption of conflict in the region. In contrast, the Syrian civil war has intensified the already brutal sectarian conflicts, and has embroiled Syria in big powers’ contention, which is a much more violent and profound conflict.
Qatar also maintains close relations with the US, and hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East. Washington hopes the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC) can stay in a state between unity and disorganization as Washington wants to use the GCC’s joint influence to deal with Iran, but the GCC’s internal conflicts to control the member states. Therefore, at present, the possibility and role of the US in the conflict are not clear.
From the perspective of culture, the Arabian and Islamic worlds seem homogeneous. However, in politics, they are seriously split. In the Arabian world, it is common to see one country curse another country. Anti- Americanism is widespread in Arabian society, however, most governments spare no effort to please Washington.
While it will be difficult for Qatar to endure against such a broad severing of diplomatic relations, the country is unlikely to completely swing to Iran, which can endanger its survival. This may be an unforgettable lesson for Qatar. Once it compromises, it may be allowed back into the original Middle Eastern geopolitical structure.
Iran is the real political center of the Middle East. Disputes over religious sects, culture, resources, and attitude toward outside powers are all reflected in the ties with Iran. The gap between Sunnis in Arabian society and Iran’s Shias leaves room for external powers to become involved in the region. Qatar is only a mirror which reflects this.
The incident, all of a sudden, displays some deep- rooted disputes in the Middle East and Arabian world.