Qatar is categorically denying it is sponsoring radical Islamists.
United States military officials, also speaking anonymously to discuss political issues, said the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar is vital to American air support against Iranian paramilitaries and Iranian-backed forces on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war. "I decided. the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding".
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"There are ongoing efforts from friendly countries to contain the crisis and lift the unjust blockade on Qatar and start negotiations", added the Qatari minister, who is travelling to Moscow on Saturday to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
But Qatar is an important United States ally and hosts USA military forces operating in the Gulf region-including U.S. and coalition aircraft involved in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, operating from Al Udeid Air Base.
There was not an immediate comment from Qatar about the "terror list".
President Trump came out swinging against Qatar during a Rose Garden press conference today after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier urged easing of the blockade against the Gulf nation and the Pentagon said the rift was negatively impacting US military operations. He added that it hurts USA business activities and the US effort to fight the terror group ISIS.
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The Saudis have also closed their land border with Qatar and others have blocked access to air space around the wealthy Gulf country. Qatar has a history of supporting groups that have spanned the spectrum of political expression, from activism to violence.
Delivering a short statement at the State Department in Washington on Friday, he said: "US expectation is that Gulf countries would immediately take steps to de-escalate situation in region".
Tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East. He noted that during his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, Arab leaders he'd met with had joined in warning about Qatari support for terrorism.
Responding to the reservations of Qatar, Zakaria pointed out that all countries in question are Muslim, and hence they would not do anything against a fellow Muslim country.
"There can not ever be a military solution to this problem". But Western diplomats accuse Qatar's government of allowing or even encouraging the funding of some Sunni extremists, such as al-Qaida's branch in Syria.
As a result of the update, 59 individuals and 12 entities are now designated by each of the four countries.
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