Crisis may drag on for months, even escalate, says US official

WASHINGTON — The United States is increasingly concerned that a rift between Qatar and other Arab states is at an impasse and could drag on for a long time or intensify, the US State Department said on Thursday.

Underscoring US concerns about a crisis involving key allies in the Middle East, the department said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to visit Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, on Monday.

In the latest top-level US contact with officials of the countries involved in the dispute, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis discussed the importance of easing tensions in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid Al Attiyah on Thursday.

“We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

“We’ve become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point. We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks. It could drag on for months. It could possibly even intensify,” she said.

Mattis discussed the state of relations among Gulf Arab states and “the importance of de-escalating tensions” in his call with Attiyah, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The two officials “affirmed the strategic security partnership” of their countries and Mattis emphasised the importance of Qatar’s contributions to the US-led coalition fighting Daesh, it added.

Qatar hosts the largest US Air Force base in the region.

Saudi Arabia has been a close US ally for decades, and US President Donald Trump sealed a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom during a visit in May. —

We’ve become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point. Heather Nauert, State Department spokeswoman