Qatar allows Gulf citizens to stay

Doha, June 11: Qatar moved to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours on Sunday by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of “business as usual” for vital gas exports.

The decision will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that it was ordering “suitable measures” to help families with mixed citizenships, but provided few details.

Iran announced that it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others had accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump, and severed ties with the country.

Tehran, June 11: Iran has sent five planes of food to Qatar, Iran’s national carrier said on Sunday, days after Gulf countries cut off air and other transport links to the emirate.

“So far, five planes carrying perishable food items such as fruits and vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each carrying around 90 tonnes of cargo, while another plane will be sent today,” Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said. “We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand” from Qatar, Mr Noushabadi added, without mentioning if these deliveries were exports or aid.

Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of food were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency quoted a local official as saying. The port of Dayyer is Iran’s closest port to Qatar.

In the biggest diplomatic crisis in the region in years, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, plus Egypt and Yemen, on Monday announced they were cutting all ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism.

Iran has urged Qatar and other Gulf countries to engage in dialogue to resolve their dispute.

The Islamic republic has also opened its airspace to about 100 more Qatari flights a day, after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates banned Qatari planes from their airpace.

The new flights have increased Iranian air traffic by 17 per cent, the official state news agency has reported.