If verified, it would be the second cyber security breach following Russian hackers' alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Since the diplomatic row erupted, slogans against and in support of Qatar have been among the top topics discussed on Twitter in Arabic, which is a hugely popular medium of expression in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia. "Whatever happens, there is a Russian trace there, the trace of Russian hackers".
Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Than told CNN, "the entire crisis is being based on misinformation". They also cut off food shipments, prompting a dash to supermarkets for Qataris - although it seems that the country now has the economic resources to weather the storm.
On Tuesday, Jordan announced that it would downgrade its own diplomatic ties to Qatar and work to revoke licenses for the Doha-based multinational broadcaster Al-Jazeera.
Moscow on Wednesday dismissed allegations that Russian hackers helped spark the diplomatic crisis around Qatar, after CNN reported that U.S. officials believed they planted a false news story.
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Qatar relies heavily on food imports, especially those coming over its only land border with Saudi Arabia, which joined with other key Arab powers Monday in cutting off land, sea and air routes into the country.
That said, while Qatar has few options for taking retaliatory steps, it prefers to have the U.S. military in the country "because it gives them an external guarantee of security", Kristian Ulrichsen, Chatham House associate fellow in London, told The National, a media outlet based in the United Arab Emirates.
Last month, US President Donald Trump had stated his intent to move the Gulf states "in the right direction".
In his speech in the Saudi capital, Trump accused at lease one regional neighbor of supporting terrorism. They said they would take a hard line on funding, extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar.
In an interview published on Wednesday, Germany's foreign minister warned that such loose talk could lead to major instability.
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