SAUDI ARABIA SHUTS DIALOGUE AFTER QATAR PHONE CALL

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Saturday suspended any dialogue with Qatar, accusing it of distorting facts, after a phone call between the rulers of both countries offered hope of a breakthrough in the three-month-old Gulf crisis.

Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani , spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to express interest in talks, state media from both sides said, in the first public dialogue between the leaders.

Saudi Arabia led the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain in cutting ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist extremist groups and of being too close to regional rival Iran. Doha denies the accusations.

The crown prince “welcomed this desire,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, adding “details will be announced after Saudi Arabia reaches an agreement with UAE and Bahrain and Egypt”. But the prospect of a thaw quickly died down after SPA subsequently accused Qatar’s state media of implying that Saudi Arabia had initiated the outreach.

“What was published by Qatar News Agency is continuation of Qatari authority’s distortion of facts,” SPA said, adding that any dialogue was now suspended.

The development came after US President Donald Trump on Friday spoke separately with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE after offering to act as a mediator the previous day.