Trump urges Saudi Arabia to restore ties with Qatar

US President Donald Trump urged both Riyadh and Doha to end the Qatar crisis months after Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a siege on the peninsula.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

04 April, 2018

Donald Trump has called for an end to the Gulf crisis [AFP]

US President Donald Trump had separate phone conversations with the leaders of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, discussing the ongoing disputes between the Arab neighbours, who have besieged the tiny peninsula.

Trump spoke on Monday with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar. The White House says Trump stressed the importance of the Qatar crisis.

With Saudi Arabia, Trump also discussed with Salman the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, days after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman proclaimed that Israel has a right to exist. With Qatar, he discussed Iran's actions in the region.

GCC members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and non-member Egypt severed ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed a land, sea and air siege.

Last month Qatar filed a complaint at the UN over a breach of its airspace by a Bahrain warplane.

The incident took place on March 25, Doha's state news agency QNA reported, saying only that it was a "serious breach that constitutes a serious and flagrant violation of international law".

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt allege Doha supports terrorism, a charge it categorically denies, and imposed sanctions including closing their land, sea and air borders to Qatar.

The Saudi-led bloc has issued Qatar with a list of demands, including shutting down media outlets Al Jazeera and London-based The New Arab, curbing relations with Iran, and closing a Turkish military base in the emirate.