Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain are among seven states that have cut diplomatic ties and many major transport links with Qatar, a gas-rich emirate on the Saudi border. Bahrain has been gripped by a government crackdown on dissent for over a year now. "It is also the end of the Muslim Brotherhood presence in Qatar", he wrote. The sole Yemeni, Abdel-Wahab al-Humayqani, is the leader of a Salafi party whose has been accused by the USA of financing al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the terror group's branch in Yemen.
Riyadh and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting extremist groups and of serving the interests of regional arch-rival Iran, claims Doha has strongly rejected.
The UAE had already said Qataris would not be allowed to enter the country, though the practical impact on airline passengers had been unclear.
Trump's Tuesday tweet - in which he said "all reference was pointing to Qatar" as a financer of extremism - was especially surprising given Qatar's role as host of the largest USA airbase in the Middle East.
"We lead the region in attacking the roots of terrorism - by giving young people hope through jobs, replacing weapons with pens by educating hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and funding local community programs globally to challenge extremist agendas", it said. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al- Thani told reporters on June 8 in Doha that diplomacy was still Doha's preferred option and there would never be a military solution to the problem.
For its part, Qatar has denied the accusations, stating that "the campaign of incitement is based on lies that had reached the level of complete fabrications".
Abu Dhabi-owned Etihad also said foreigners living in Qatar with residence permits would no longer be eligible for visas upon arrival in the United Arab Emirates.
"No one has the right to intervene in our foreign policy", Sheikh Mohammed said.
Trump endorses report defending Jared
However the news channels all across the U.S. are just behind this issue and calling it breaking news still waiting for a proof. Former US national security officials have suggested that such a line of communication would be out of the norm.
Doha is a major global travel hub, but flagship carrier Qatar Airways now flies increasingly over Iran and Turkey after being blocked elsewhere in the Middle East.
Abu Dhabi port authorities in the UAE have eased curbs on non-Qatari oil tankers going to and from Qatar, according to industry sources and shipping circulars seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have banned Al-Jazeera from the airwaves and closed the channel's offices.
That official and others say the situation in Qatar has not affected U.S. military operations and security in the country.
Its emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah held talks on Wednesday with Qatari counterpart Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, following talks with senior UAE officials and Saudi King Salman.
An outspoken Emirati ruling family member, the writer and political analyst Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, even raised the prospect of Qatar's leadership changing.
Trump's administration later suggested U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who as Exxon Mobil's CEO had business with Qatar, as a possible mediator.
But the visit came after Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that Qatar has "chosen to ride the tiger of extremism and terrorism" and now needed to pay the price, despite Qatar long denying the allegation.
Comments