Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and the Maldives have severed diplomatic relations with Qatar. The conflict between Arab countries and Qatar will have to be resolved by the Americans. What is happening between Qatar and the UAE
Three countries Persian Gulf– Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United United Arab Emirates, as well as Egypt, Maldives, Yemen and Libya severed diplomatic relations with Qatar on Monday morning. They accused the country of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the situation in Arab countries.
Bahrain has stopped all land, sea and air connections with Qatar. The authorities warned that citizens of this country are given 14 days and Qatari diplomats 48 hours to return to their homeland.
Saudi Arabia announced the same measures against Qatar. Egypt also closed its ports, airports and air space for Qatar transport and accused the former ally of supporting terrorist groups, in particular the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Libyan Interim Government also joined the demarche, accusing Qatar of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and a number of extremist groups. They pointed to Doha as the main source of arms supplies to these groups.
The UAE, in turn, accused Qatar of financing the Islamic State (banned in Russia) and al-Qaeda. Three major air carriers from this country (Etihad, Emirates and Fly Dubai) announced the cessation of flights to Doha.
The Yemeni authorities, in addition to accusations of supporting radical groups, confirmed information about the withdrawal of the Qatari military contingent from the Arab coalition forces that are fighting the Houthis.
This was unexpected?
Not really, the conflict developed gradually. Last week, four countries began blocking broadcasts of the Qatar-based pan-Arab Al Jazeera television channel and online news outlets. The official reason was a speech allegedly delivered by the Emir of Qatar Al Thani in support of building relations with Iran, continuing cooperation with the United States and placing American military bases in the Persian Gulf.
Later, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the agency’s website was hacked on May 24, and the text of a speech on behalf of the emir was published by hackers. But Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain found the denial unconvincing.
Is there any truth to this?
Yes and no. The “yes” is that Qatar tried to be friends with all sides, including Shiite Iran, which the rest of the Gulf countries opposed. On May 27, the Emir of Qatar congratulated Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on his re-election in a telephone conversation.
What will Qatar do?
The emir of Qatar and other officials have previously denied supporting terrorist organizations. On Monday morning, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said the country regretted the Middle Eastern countries' decision to sever diplomatic ties and air travel and stressed that the neighbors' reasons for announcing the severance were fabricated. The Qatari Foreign Ministry believes that in fact the Arab states are trying to establish a protectorate over Doha, which in itself is an encroachment on the country’s sovereignty.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry also emphasized that the country is fulfilling its obligations to combat extremism and terrorism, and the decision to sever relations will not affect Everyday life citizens.
What about the USA?
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday morning that the decision Saudi Arabia and other countries was “unexpected” for the United States and called on allies to overcome the differences they have with Qatar. A week ago, US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia, and observers did not note any escalation of the conflict in the region. On the contrary, several Gulf countries confirmed the decision to strengthen the coalition to fight IS.
Qatar is like a tiny state. Why is everyone bothering with him so much?
In general, this is one of the richest countries in the world. According to various sources, GDP per capita there in 2016 ranged from $100 thousand to $143 thousand, which is more than in Singapore, Norway or Luxembourg. In Saudi Arabia, for comparison - from $50 thousand to $54 thousand, and in Bahrain - from $46 thousand to $49 thousand, according to various sources (in other countries participating in the conflict - even less). Qatar is the third largest country in the world in terms of natural gas reserves, the sixth largest exporter of natural gas in the world and a major exporter of oil and petroleum products (21st place in the world).
Qatar is considered one of the most pro-Western countries in the Persian Gulf. There is an American military base there, and the Qatar Investment Fund is active in the US, EU and UK. In 2009, he became the owner of a 17% stake in Volkswagen, then entered into shares in the European banks Merck Fink, Credit Suisse and Barclays, the oil company Royal Dutch Shell, the French luxury goods manufacturer LVMH, the German construction company Hochtief and the French media company Lagardere and became the owner of the French football club PSG. The investment fund also participated in the sale of a 17% stake in the oil company Rosneft.
The Qatari ruling family also owns expensive real estate in New York and London: the prestigious Harrod's store, the famous skyscraper The Shard and several buildings in the Canary Wharf area. It is in Qatar that the FIFA World Cup will take place in 2022.
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The current crisis over Qatar represents the most serious conflict among the Gulf Arab states since the end of the Cold War. And although these autocratic, oil-rich OPEC member states have historically experienced the peak of their alliance relationship only in the face of a common enemy (USSR, Saddam Hussein, Iran, etc.), mutual distrust among them has never reached the level of an ultimatum to one of them, which, in essence, demands complete submission.
And this immediately revealed several interesting points.
First, we note that the severance of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and with several other major regional players, including Egypt, as well as the deprivation of Qatar’s opportunity to use land and air transport routes in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, including Egypt, occurred suddenly and without any warning. There was no visible conflict or any provocative steps at the political level between Qatar and any of its neighboring countries. Thus, it can be assumed that this step was a deliberate and systematic action on the part of Saudi Arabia and its partners.
And although the US role in this crisis is not obvious, it is more than unlikely that Saudi Arabia could have taken such a decisive step without coordination with the United States, especially considering that this step occurred literally immediately after the visit of a high delegation led by Trump to Saudi Arabia Arabia. While President Trump initially remained silent, he eventually took to Twitter to call for support for Saudi Arabia in the fight against Qatar, even though the US still maintains a significant military presence in Qatar.
The accusations brought against Qatar have become simply radical. The heads of both the United States and Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of all mortal sins, including supporting bloody Islamist extremism. Trump went even further and said that an important key to solving the problem of terrorism would be a change in Qatar's policy.
Based on the nature of this crisis, it can be assumed that it represents a conflict that has been simmering deep under the surface for years and has finally burst out into the open. Collapse of the union Qatar-Saudi Arabia and the formation of a pro-Saudi coalition suggests that multiple parties are involved in the crisis.
This radical step most likely would not be necessary if Saudi Arabia and Qatar were now realizing their ambitions in Syria. After all, the goal of these countries was to lay their pipelines through Syrian territory, and also, using ISIS as puppets, to seize Syrian oil fields - all this, most likely, was done with the tacit consent of the Obama administration. And although the outcome of the Syrian war is still uncertain, it is already clear that the efforts of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to enrich themselves at the expense of Syria have failed.
In addition, the Saudis are trying to establish their political dominance in this region, as part of the “Sunni NATO” strategy. The real obstacle to achieving this goal was the independent foreign policy of Qatar, which has always ignored or even undermined the activities of the Saudis in Syria and Libya. Moreover, apparently, it was because of Qatar’s independence that countries like Egypt and Israel supported Saudi Arabia’s steps. Qatar is the main sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas movements, which are the main irritants in Egypt and Israel respectively.
Another major indicator of Qatar's independence is its policy towards Iran, which is fundamentally different from the Saudis' approach. And since the “Sunni NATO” is directed against Iran, if Saudi Arabia successfully breaks the independence of Qatar, it will establish itself as the undisputed geopolitically dominant force on the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, the harsh beating and humiliation of Qatar will serve as a long-term warning to all other Gulf powers that may try to pursue a foreign policy independent of Saudi Arabia. The importance of Iran in the conflict between the Saudis and Qatar was clearly indicated by Iran's desire to arrange food supplies to Qatar so that the latter could overcome the Saudi blockade, as well as by the terrorist attack in Tehran, for which the Iranian authorities blamed Saudi Arabia. In addition, Tehran opened its airspace to airline aircraft Qatar Airways and increased the scale of unofficial activities to attract Doha into its sphere of influence.
All things considered, Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia, which ended with a bizarre "balloon" ceremony, takes on a new meaning. While we still don't know how much leeway Washington gives Riyadh in his actions against Doha, or how much coordination and communication there is between the US and Saudi Arabia, Trump's behavior during the Saudi visit was likely aimed at In order to signal to Saudi Arabia that the United States fully trusts and relies on it, Qatar, however, did not pay any attention to the warnings. If the actions of the Saudis lead to Qatar's refusal to support the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, then this will help the United States restore part of its geopolitical positions in the region, drawing both Israel and especially Egypt into the US zone of influence. Moreover, the neutralization of Qatar in the future will speed up the end of the wars not only in Syria, but also in Libya, because a major player promoting his independent goal will be eliminated. And finally, Qatar will prefer to improve relations with Russia and Turkey rather than with Saudi Arabia, which, there is no doubt, has fueled Washington’s fear that Russia is about to take the place of the United States as the most influential external player in the Middle East. A nightmare scenario for Riyadh and Washington would be the unification of Russia, Iran, Turkey and Qatar as a result of the efforts of Russian diplomacy, as well as Turkey’s regional ambitions.
It is still unclear whether the Trump administration forced Saudi Arabia to take this course, or whether Trump was left with no choice but to conform and reluctantly accept Saudi policy, with few reservations regarding the above-mentioned US interests. On the one hand, the Saudis themselves could have fallen under Trump’s hot hand in the fight against “support for terrorism,” where the Qataris fell. On the other hand, the strong Saudi lobby in Washington and the absence of an American-controlled force that could do to Saudi Arabia the same thing that it is now doing to Qatar means that the Saudis are not just blindly following Washington’s orders.
However, in light of Trump's upcoming visit to Poland, as well as participation in the so-called Three Seas Initiative summit, one must also understand that there is a possibility that the United States viewed Qatar as an unwanted competitor in the liquefied natural gas market. It becomes obvious that the United States will continue to increase its role as an exporter of hydrocarbons, which, of course, will lead to conflict not only with Russia, but also with Qatar and even Saudi Arabia. It is also becoming clear that at least part of the US expansion will take place in Europe, a market that Qatar hoped to enter by sponsoring jihadists in Syria who would eventually greenlight gas pipelines to Europe.
The deterioration of relations between the US and Qatar appears to have had a sobering effect on the Qatari leadership which, apparently fearing that any sign of weakness would lead to their removal from power or even physical removal, has taken a stand and begun to seek support from unconventional sources. In turn, this process showed both the degree of anti-Saudi sentiment in the region and the limitations of US influence. The President of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, came out with strict support for Qatar and went further, declaring his readiness to form a military alliance between Turkey and Qatar, as well as send troops to Qatar. Pakistan made a similar decision to send military units to Qatar - all these actions, carried out jointly, will most likely significantly discourage any desires of the Saudis to carry out military adventures, which may have been decided to be carried out jointly with parts of the Qatari army dissatisfied with the authorities. In this case, overthrowing the Qatari government would require direct US military intervention, but the US would obviously prefer to entrust this dirty work to its puppets. Moreover, there is no intention or attempt to ban or block the movement of Qatari LNG tankers. Even though Egypt joined the anti-Qatari coalition, it did not block the Suez Canal for the movement of tankers carrying Qatari LNG.
However, even current situation concerned the Qatari leadership so much that it sent its Foreign Minister to Moscow for consultation. But still, given the fact that Saudi Arabia, in response to Turkey’s support for Qatar, began to speak out in support of the Kurds - so far only in words - it seems that Russia, Turkey and many other countries in the region do not want to see Qatar on its knees before the Saudis. The Russian military also noted that at the moment the war in Syria has significantly decreased in the intensity of the fighting, since the militants supported by Qatar and Saudi Arabia find themselves in a very confusing situation - they do not understand who they should fight against now - against the Syrian forces or against other militant groups . However, as further development situation, it is extremely unlikely that Qatar will work closely with the Saudis on any issues. On the contrary, it is more than likely that Qatar will fundamentally move away from its relationship with the Saudis and increase its ties with Turkey and thus its indirect ties with Russia and Iran.
And finally, we note that it is striking that this situation is a serious and, ultimately, potentially extremely dangerous conflict between two significant US allies. Considering that both Qatar and Saudi Arabia are members of the so-called “Free World”, in which the United States is the undisputed leader, the fact that some political differences existing between these members can no longer be resolved through blockades and threats of war suggests a lot about the failure of the US to maintain its empire. And although the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Qatar has no equal in its intensity, it is very far from being a purely internal conflict in the group of so-called countries. The “free world” and the United States is obviously unable to solve it. We have already witnessed Brexit, the specter of the “Two Speed Europe” concept, disagreements between Turkey and the EU, Turkey and NATO, the collapse of multilateral trade agreements such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, led by Americans, as well as other signs of US weakening. The pitting of Saudi Arabia against Qatar suggests that the US may be trying to shift to a different divide-and-rule model of governing its empire among its vassals. In the short term, this model can bring significant success. However, this makes US vassals worry - and it is this worry that pushes them to seek help from Moscow, which results in propaganda cliches like “Russian Intervention”, as is the case with Qatar.
The Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, Libya and the Maldives announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar.
Bahrain was the first to announce the severance of diplomatic relations. A statement posted on the website of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the kingdom was withdrawing from neighboring country all employees of your embassy.
The message emphasizes that the corresponding decision was made “taking into account the ongoing actions on the part of the State of Qatar aimed at destabilizing the situation and security of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as interference in internal affairs, incitement in the media, support for terrorism and providing financial assistance to groups associated with Iran , to spread instability in Bahrain."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain also informed about the closure of maritime and air traffic with Qatar and demanded that the country's diplomatic representatives leave the territory within 48 hours. As TASS notes, at the same time, citizens of the kingdom are now prohibited from visiting Qatar, Qataris who are in Bahrain are required to leave it within 14 days, and now they will be denied entry into this country and transit through its territory.
Riyadh explained the decision to sever diplomatic relations with security considerations. “The Saudi Arabian authorities, taking advantage of their sovereign right guaranteed by international law, have decided to sever diplomatic relations with the state of Qatar to protect the security of their country from the threat of terrorism and extremism,” noted a communique posted on the page of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Twitter.
“A decision was made to close air, sea and land border terminals, as well as a ban on transit, air traffic and the use of the territorial waters of the kingdom by Qatar,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The department announced the start of “procedures to take these measures as soon as possible in cooperation with neighboring fraternal countries, based on the interests of state security.”
The Foreign Ministry also demanded that Qatari diplomats leave the kingdom and announced the withdrawal of their representatives from Doha. Saudi citizens are now prohibited from visiting Qatar; residents there must leave the emirate in the next 14 days. Similar requirements apply to Qatari citizens living in the kingdom.
At the same time, it is noted that Riyadh does not intend to interfere with the arrival of Muslim pilgrims from Qatar and their Hajj to the holy places of Islam in the cities of Mecca and Medina, located on the territory of the kingdom. The Saudi Arabian authorities reported this today, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. A special statement notes that, despite the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, the kingdom is “committed to its obligations to receive and provide necessary services to Qatari pilgrims” heading to places holy to all Muslims.
Egypt, following Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar. "The decision to sever diplomatic relations was made in connection with the spread by Qatar of the ideology of the Al-Qaeda* and " Islamic State“*, support for terrorist attacks in Sinai, Qatar’s continued interference in the internal affairs of Egypt (Arab Republic of Egypt) and the countries of the region, which threatens the national security of Arab countries and sows division in Arab society,” the diplomatic department said in a statement.
The ministry also announced the failure of attempts to dissuade Doha from supporting terrorist groups, primarily the Islamist association Muslim Brotherhood, banned in Egypt, whose leaders Qatar refuses to expel.
The United Arab Emirates also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the state of Qatar and the closure of air and sea communications with it. This was reported by the UAE News Agency.
“The United Arab Emirates reaffirms its commitment to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia) system in maintaining the stability and security of member countries,” the country’s authorities said in a statement. “Due to the ongoing policy of Qatar, which destabilizes the situation and threatens the security of the countries of the region, in the interests of the GCC, a decision was made to sever diplomatic relations and expel diplomatic representatives of the state within 48 hours,” the UAE noted.
The Saudi-led coalition announced on Monday June 5 that it would end Qatar's participation in a joint military operation against the Houthi rebels who have established control over large parts of Yemen. This was reported by Al Arabiya TV channel. The command of the Arab coalition explained this decision by Doha’s support for illegal groups, al-Qaeda* and IS*.
After this, the Yemeni authorities also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, Al Arabiya reports. “The government accused Doha of supporting extremist groups in this country, and also supported the decision of the Arabian coalition to end Qatar’s participation in the military operation in Yemen,” the channel notes.
In Yemen, the confrontation between government forces and the rebel Shiite movement Ansar Allah has continued since August 2014. At the request of Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the Saudi Air Force, with the support of aircraft from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, launched an air operation against the Houthis in March 2015. Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan and Sudan have joined the Gulf coalition.
Later it became known that Libya followed the example of the five Arab states, which also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Dhari said that the interim government under the leadership of Abdullah Abdurrahman al-Thani took such a step as a sign of solidarity with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Qatar poses a threat to national security Arab world, he noted.
Later, the Maldives joined the group of countries that announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, reports Al Arabiya.
As announced, Saudi Arabia is banning Qatari airlines from landing at the kingdom's airports. This is stated in a statement issued by the Main Directorate civil aviation kingdoms. The department noted that restrictive measures will come into force at 00:01 local time (the same as Moscow) on June 6. The UAE and Bahrain also decided to close their airspace to Qatar for 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Emirati airlines Etihad Airways, FlyDubai and Emirates, Air Arabia, Egyptian Egypt Air and Saudi Arabia announced the cancellation of flights to Qatar. In turn, the Qatari state airline Qatar Airways announced the cessation of flights with Saudi Arabia.
Qatar regrets the decision taken by Arab countries
Meanwhile, Qatar said it regretted the decision of Arab countries to sever diplomatic relations with Doha and called the measures taken unjustified. This is stated in a statement by the country's Foreign Ministry, which is published by the Qatari satellite TV channel Al Jazeera. “These measures are unjustified and are based on claims and allegations that have no basis,” the statement said.
The Qatari authorities emphasized that they will do everything to resist attempts to influence Qatari society and the economy. Doha assured that the measures taken by Arab countries will not affect the lives of citizens and residents of the country.
US calls on Gulf countries for unity
In turn, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday appealed to the Gulf states to maintain unity and work to overcome existing contradictions, Al Jazeera reports. He noted that Washington will facilitate the organization of negotiations between the countries.
Tillerson stressed how important it is for the Gulf Cooperation Council to remain cohesive. In addition, the Secretary of State expressed doubts that the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar would have a negative impact on the fight against terrorism in the region.
The conflict between Qatar and its regional neighbors occurred a week after the summit of the Gulf countries and the United States in Riyadh, when the Qatar News Agency posted a speech on behalf of the country's emir in support of building relations with Iran, RIA Novosti notes. At the summit in the capital of Saudi Arabia, the kingdom, on behalf of all the guests of the meeting, condemned Iran for the hostile policies pursued by the country and threatened with an adequate response. Later, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the agency's website had been hacked. He assured that the speech on behalf of the emir was published by hackers and has no relation to the Qatari leader.
However, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain found the denial unconvincing and continue to believe that the words about normalizing relations with Iran belong to the emir.
*Al-Qaeda, Islamic State (IS, ISIS, Daesh) are terrorist groups banned in the Russian Federation.
MOSCOW, June 5 – RIA Novosti. A diplomatic scandal erupted in the Arab world on Monday. Four states - Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE - announced in the morning the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, the expulsion of diplomats and ordinary citizens, and the cessation of transport links with this country. Others followed.
The reasons cited are “shaking the situation with security and stability”, actions aimed at “supporting terrorism, including terrorist groups in Yemen, such as Al-Qaeda* and *.
Qatar itself has already called the severance of diplomatic relations unjustified and rejected all accusations of interference in the affairs of other states.
The conflict between Qatar and its regional neighbors comes a week after the Gulf-US summit in Riyadh, when the Qatar News Agency posted a speech on behalf of the country's emir in support of building relations with Iran. At the summit in the capital of Saudi Arabia, the kingdom, on behalf of all the guests at the meeting, condemned Iran for its hostile policies and threatened an adequate response. Later, an official representative of the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the agency's website was hacked, and the speech on behalf of the emir was published by hackers and had no relation to the Qatari leader.
However, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain found this denial unconvincing and continue to insist that the words about normalizing relations with Iran really belong to the emir. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash called on Qatar to change its policy and not repeat previous mistakes in order to restore relations with its neighbors.
"Chain reaction" of a relationship breakup
Bahrain was the first to announce the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar.
“Due to Qatar’s continued destabilization of the security and stability situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain and interference in its affairs, continued escalation and provocation in the media and support for terrorist activities ... the Kingdom of Bahrain announces the severance of diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar,” the kingdom’s official news agency said on Monday morning.
Seven countries have severed diplomatic relations with QatarFirst, the expulsion of Qatari diplomats was announced in Bahrain, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. Later, similar measures were taken by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Yemen, Libya and the Maldives.Following Bahrain, Egypt made a similar statement. “The government of the Arab Republic of Egypt has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Qatar due to the Qatari authorities’ continued hostile behavior towards Egypt,” said a statement from the official representative of the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Literally minutes later, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced the same measures, followed by Yemen and Libya.
Later, Cairo clarified that the decision to sever relations with Qatar was made “due to the continuation of the Qatari authorities’ hostile policy towards Egypt and the failure of all attempts to convince them to stop supporting terrorist organizations led by the Muslim Brotherhood.”
According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Qatar "provides refuge to the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, against whom court decisions have been made for their involvement in terrorist attacks on Egyptian territory." Also, according to official Cairo, “Doha spreads the ideology of the Al-Qaeda* and IS* groups and supports terrorist attacks in the Sinai Peninsula.”
At the same time, Egypt called on all friendly countries, as well as Arab and international companies take measures to stop transport links with Qatar
The diplomats were given 48 hours
The announcement of the severance of diplomatic relations was logically followed by reports of the expulsion of diplomats. Bahrain gave Qatari diplomats forty-eight hours to leave the kingdom. Manama also suspended air and sea communication with Doha and banned Qatari citizens from visiting Bahrain, and also banned its citizens from residing in and visiting Qatar.
The UAE also gave Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, Al Arabiya TV reported. “The diplomatic mission of Qatar is given 48 hours to leave the country,” the channel quotes the text of the statement.
Ordinary citizens of Qatar are also being expelled from the Emirates. “Qatari citizens are prohibited from entering or transiting the UAE. Resident Qatari citizens, as well as visiting (UAE) residents of this country, are given a period of 14 days to leave the country for security reasons,” the statement reads. statement from official Abu Dhabi.
Saudi Arabia also announced similar measures. “Unfortunately, for security reasons, entry into Saudi Arabia and transit through its territory of all Qatari nationals is prohibited. Residents and those temporarily staying in Saudi Arabia are given 14 days to leave the country,” reads a statement published by the Saudi news agency SPA .
At the same time, Saudi Arabia confirms that it will “continue to provide all benefits and services to Qatari pilgrims.”
The sky is closed
The four countries that were the first to sever ties with Qatar decided not to limit themselves to statements and the expulsion of Qatari diplomats and ordinary citizens. Among other things, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have suspended land, air and sea communications with Qatar.
In turn, Bahrain announced the closure of the country's airspace to flights by Qatar's national carrier Qatar Airways.
“Bahrain is closing Bahrain’s airspace to Qatari aircraft... Qatar continues to support terrorism at all levels and acted to overthrow the legitimate government in Bahrain,” the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
They promise to stop in the next 24 hours transport connection with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “Cessation of sea and air communications with Qatar for twenty-four hours and a ban on the transit of vehicles traveling to or from Qatar,” reports Al-Arabiya TV channel, citing a statement from official Abu Dhabi.
UAE national carrier Etihad Airways has confirmed it will stop flying to Qatar. “The airline will suspend flights to and from Qatar from Tuesday morning,” noted a statement from an airline representative received by RIA Novosti.
Suspends all flights between Dubai and Doha Flydubai airline. “From Tuesday, June 6, 2017, all flights between Dubai and Doha will be suspended,” the company said in a statement received by RIA Novosti.
No place in Yemen
In addition to all this, Qatar is excluded from the ranks of the Arab coalition in Yemen, according to a statement from its command, which is published by the Saudi SPA agency.
An armed conflict has been ongoing in Yemen since 2014, in which, on the one hand, Houthi rebels from the Shiite Ansar Allah movement and part of the army loyal to ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh are participating, and on the other, government troops and militias loyal to President Abd Rabb Mansour Khadi. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia is providing air and ground support to the authorities.
"Coalition Rule of Law Command in Yemen announces its decision to terminate the State of Qatar's participation in the coalition due to its actions aimed at supporting terrorism, including terrorist groups in Yemen such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State." , cooperation with groups involved in the coup,” the statement said. Such actions contradict the goals of the Arab coalition in Yemen, the report notes.
It came to sports
The diplomatic scandal even reached sports. Titled Saudi football club Al-Ahly announced the termination of the sponsorship agreement with Qatar's national airline Qatar Airways, Al-Arabiya TV channel reported.
“Al-Ahly announces the termination of the sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airwais,” the TV channel quoted the club’s statement.
The Al-Ahli club is part of the top league of the Saudi football championship and has repeatedly won the national championship.
Qatar
Qatar, in turn, stated that all these measures are absolutely unjustified. “We regret the decision to sever relations... These measures are not justified in any way, they are based on allegations that have no basis,” the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
At the same time, Qatar stated that it would do everything to “resist attempts to influence Qatari society and economy.” In addition, Doha assured that the measures taken by Arab countries will not affect the lives of citizens and residents of the country.
Qatar also rejected accusations of interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries and supporting terrorism. “The State of Qatar is a full member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), complies with its charter, respects the sovereignty of other states and does not interfere in their internal affairs, and also fulfills its obligations to combat terrorism and extremism,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.
However, Qatar called these actions of the countries that broke off relations with it an attempt to impose their will on Doha, which “in itself is a violation of sovereignty.” “The promotion of fabricated reasons for taking measures against a brotherly state that is part of the GCC is the best proof that there are no real reasons for such actions taken jointly with Egypt,” the document notes.
The USA is ready to reconcile
Countries outside the region have already begun to respond to the situation. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, for example, said that Washington is ready to play its role in reconciling Qatar with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.
“We, of course, call on the parties to sit down together at the negotiating table and resolve these differences,” AFP quoted Tillerson as saying in Sydney.
"If there is any role we can play in terms of helping resolve the problems, we believe it is important that the Gulf Cooperation Council remains united," the US Secretary of State said.
And one of the possible “culprits” of the crisis, Iran, expressed the opinion that the situation will not contribute to resolving crises in the Middle East.
“The era of breaking diplomatic relations and closing borders... is not the way to resolve the crisis... As I said earlier, aggression and occupation will only lead to instability,” said Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Presidential Administration Hamid Aboutalebi, as reported by Reuters.
Is it Trump's fault?
US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards Iran is to blame for the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Arab countries and Qatar, says Elena Suponina, advisor to the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, RIAC expert.
“Behind the accusations against Qatar from the Arab monarchies there are other disagreements, primarily regarding the policy towards Iran. Qatar did not agree with the hard line that the Saudis took, considering it extremely dangerous. This caused discontent in Riyadh ", said the RIA Novosti expert.
According to her, “at the summit in Riyadh, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim, was received coldly, which, oddly enough, was not noticed by the main guest of the summit, US President Donald Trump.” “The guest of the event was busy with his bellicose rhetoric against Iran, somehow not noticing that these statements of his were creating an even greater split not only between Iran on the one hand and the Arabs on the other, but also within the Arab world itself. This time, Donald’s rhetoric Trump caused a split even among the previously united Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf, united in the Cooperation Council organization,” Suponina noted.
She believes that “disagreements on Iran also result in differences in many regional conflicts, such as in Yemen and Syria, where Iran’s interests are very clearly visible.”
“Trump succeeded in something that no one else had managed before - he split this organization, which until now had tried to at least outwardly show unity and not wash dirty linen in public. The only question now is whether this will stop Trump in his harsh rhetoric in relation to Iran, will it understand that this is fraught with escalation in the Near and Middle East region, or maybe this is what the Americans need, actions based on the “divide and conquer” principle,” said the adviser to the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies.
She noted that this situation clearly answers the question of whether it is possible to create an Arab NATO alliance. “As recent events show, no, it’s impossible, if only because they quarreled even before the Arab NATO began to be created. But this will also lead to the fact that the fight against terrorism in the region will be weakened due to these differences,” - noted the expert.
Little significance for Syria
The situation around Qatar may also have an impact on processes throughout the region, since Doha actively took part in them. However, according to Boris Dolgov, senior researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, nothing will change fundamentally with regard to the Syrian crisis.
“The confrontation between groups supported by Doha and Riyadh will continue, including armed ones. Perhaps we will see to some extent a reduction in funding from Qatar, a more veiled promotion of this funding. It is not advertised even now, especially since is not officially announced, but goes through Islamic foundations and various non-governmental organizations,” Dolgov told RIA Novosti.
Probably, the analyst believes, this funding will be reduced to some extent, but it “will continue.”
“As for the aggravation of the Syrian crisis or any impact on the military side of the Syrian conflict, I think the confrontation between Qatar and Saudi Arabia will not have much significance,” the interlocutor stated.
Dolgov argues that now, after a series of terrorist attacks in Europe, opinions are increasingly heard among politicians that it is necessary to take a closer look at the financial support received by radical groups whose “adherents” carry out terrorist attacks in Europe. In particular, consider the possible involvement of Gulf countries.
“This, in my opinion, also played a role. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries that support it are trying to somehow distance themselves from these accusations,” the expert suggested.
Oil is in the black
According to Sberbank CIB analyst Valery Nesterov, the situation around Qatar should not significantly affect the implementation of the agreement to reduce oil production. However, as it became known on Monday, the Russian Ministry of Energy intends to discuss the situation with Qatar at a meeting of the monitoring committee on compliance with the agreement on reducing oil production by OPEC countries and other oil-producing countries
On May 25, OPEC states and other oil-producing countries decided to extend the agreement to reduce production by 9 months. The parties intend to discuss its implementation at a meeting in November. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are members of OPEC and are thus parties to the deal.
“From the point of view of the implementation of the agreement to reduce oil production, this should not have much of an impact. Firstly, countries that were not friends participated in this agreement both earlier and still today. Political contradictions within OPEC have always existed, and often very sharp ones.” , Nesterov told RIA Novosti.
At the same time, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain remain interested in high prices for oil, the analyst believes. "Qatar is primarily an exporter of liquefied gas, as oil producing country and the oil exporter is a much less visible player in the market. Therefore, even if Qatar does not comply with the terms of the agreement, which I doubt, nothing terrible will happen. This is not the country that can decide the fate of this agreement,” Nesterov added.
But, according to him, “the emergence of another source of tension, in my opinion, is a rather serious factor that will support or push prices up.” “With regard to oil prices, this situation should play a positive role. Any aggravation of the situation in the Middle East leads to a speculative increase in oil prices,” the expert noted.
Indeed, world oil prices are rising. As of 10.01 Moscow time, August futures for Brent oil are rising in price by 0.98%, to $50.44 per barrel, July futures for WTI oil are up by 1.03%, to $48.15 per barrel.
Risks for Qatar
At the same time, Qatar’s economic situation could be significantly undermined, says Saudi political scientist Ahmed al-Faraj.
“Qatar exports up to 70% of its goods, with the vast majority of them entering the country through the only land checkpoint that exists on the border with Saudi Arabia. Qatar will suffer greatly economically, considering how many trucks with goods are now stopped due to the crossing ban Saudi border,” the expert noted on Sky News Arabia.
Moreover, according to him, national air carrier The emirate Qatar Airways, before Riyadh's decision, occupied the second place in terms of air traffic in Saudi Arabia, and now the airline is losing this large segment of the market.
*Terrorist organization banned in Russia
On Monday, June 5, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies announced they were severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, citing the tiny state's tolerance of Iran and Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt decided to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar just a week after US President Donald Trump visited the region and joined Saudi Arabia in criticizing Iran for supporting terrorists in countries from Syria to Yemen.
1. What caused the diplomatic friction?
It's mainly about Iran. The spark that ignited this fire was a report by the Qatari state news agency, which included comments from Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who criticized the rise of anti-Iranian sentiment. Qatari officials quickly deleted the comment, blamed it on hackers and urged people to remain calm. Criticism from the Saudi Arabian and UAE media escalated after Sheikh Tamim made a phone call to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the weekend, showing clear disdain for Saudi Arabia's views.
2. Is it all about tensions between Sunnis and Shiites?
Partly. The Shiite-led Islamic Republic of Iran is the main regional rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. The two major oil exporters support opposing sides in several conflicts, including in Syria. Explaining the decision to cut diplomatic ties, Saudi Arabia cited Qatar's support for "terrorist groups seeking to destabilize the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State and al-Qaeda" ( terrorist organizations, prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation - approx. ed.). She also accused Qatar of supporting “Iran-sponsored terrorist groups” that operate in the kingdom’s eastern province, as well as in Bahrain.
3. Why did the rupture of diplomatic relations occur now?
The situation became noticeably tenser after Trump's visit. Days after Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz called Iran the world's top sponsor of terrorism, the kingdom and the UAE accused Qatar of trying to thwart plans to isolate Iran. Sheikh Tamim was criticized by newspapers, spiritual leaders and even celebrities. Al Jazeera's Riyadh affiliate accused him of stabbing his neighbors with an Iranian dagger.
4. What do analysts say?
Context
Cyberwar in the Persian Gulf immediately after Trump's visit. Coincidence?
Essada 06/01/2017Al-Jazeera launched an information war against Russia
Al Bayan 05/31/2017How little Qatar conquered a large region
Carnegie Moscow Center 05/13/2017 Inspired by the prospect of strengthening ties with the United States under the Trump administration, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are trying to crush any opposition that seeks to weaken the united front fighting Iranian influence in the Middle East. The two countries are also trying to pressure Qatar to stop providing aid to Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.5. What is Iran saying?
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected to a second four-year term in May, says his country is ready to begin negotiations to resolve the crisis. At the same time, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who wields more power than Rouhani, said the Saudi regime was experiencing some decline due to its policies in Yemen. In 2015, Saudi Arabia created a coalition of Sunni states to fight Shiite rebels in Yemen, allied to Iran, who had succeeded in overthrowing a Gulf-backed government. The war in Yemen continues.
6. Where else do the interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran collide?
The two states support opposite sides of conflicts in several countries in the region, from Syria to Yemen. Suspicions that Iran was behind cyberattacks on Saudi government agencies threatened to further heighten tensions between the two countries in late 2016. Earlier in 2016, following the execution of an influential Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, protesters set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, causing Saudi Arabia to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.
7. Is there anything new in the dispute with Qatar?
In 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily recalled their ambassadors from Qatar. Then the cause of friction was Egypt, where Qatar supported the Muslim Brotherhood government, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE sponsored a military coup. In addition, Hamas and Taliban leaders have found refuge in Qatar. Analysts say Saudi Arabia and its allies want to show Qatar - a country of 2.6 million people - that it is trying to punch above its strategic weight class.
8. Isn't Qatar trying to do this?
Now to a lesser extent. During the Arab Spring uprisings, Qatar's leadership supported groups calling for change—an outlier among Middle Eastern governments. The Muslim Brotherhood groups have largely failed since then, and in 2014, facing threats from its Gulf neighbors, Qatar withdrew its support. Qatar also aims to become a leading mediator in the region. Its leaders maintain ties to a wide variety of parties, from warring tribes in Libya and the Taliban to the United States. On the other hand, by supporting certain parties in the Arab Spring revolutions, Qatar almost lost its status as a neutral mediator.
9. What else can be said about Qatar?
It is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and boasts the world's highest per capita income. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The headquarters of the Al Jazeera television channel is also located there. When in 2003 Saudi Arabia refused to host an American air control center in the region, Qatar offered its services. Today there are 10 thousand military personnel there. (In May, Trump held talks with Sheikh Tamim regarding Qatar's purchase of American military equipment. At the time, Trump said that the United States and Qatar had “been friends for a long time.”)
10. How will the severance of diplomatic ties affect markets?
Any friction in the region causes unrest in the markets. Disputes between Gulf countries could limit their attractiveness to foreign investors. Even before Trump's visit, Citigroup representatives noted that rising tensions between the United States and Iran could have a "significant" impact on oil and financial markets. Qatar securities lost 5% of their value.
11. How are current tensions different from previous ones?
“Internal divisions and disputes are nothing new, but the timing and the unprecedented level of pressure are particularly noteworthy,” said Mehran Kamrava, director of the Center for International Area Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, referring to the recent visit Trump. This suggests that “Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to completely subjugate Qatar.”
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.