Pompeo urges Gulf nations to heal rift

doha — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that a rift between Qatar and its Arab Gulf neighbours had gone on for too long.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and non-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and Iran.

The United States, an ally of the GCC, sees the rift as a threat to efforts to contain Iran and has pushed for a united Gulf front.

“We’re hoping that the unity of GCC will increase in the days and weeks and months ahead,” Pompeo said, adding that Gulf unity was essential for a planned Middle East Strategic Alliance that would also include Jordan and Egypt. He was speaking at a press conference in Doha. —