"The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level", Trump said, echoing an allegation the Saudi-led group has used to justify cutting diplomatic ties to the tiny gas-rich country.
Qatar dismissed the latest move by its neighbors as "baseless allegations that has no foundation in ground".
On Tuesday, he tweeted a message that appeared to show his support for the measures taken against Qatar.
Indeed, on the offensive against fellow Arab states, at a time when they need to unify against terrorists capable of the carnage we saw in London over the weekend, in Manchester on May 22, in Nice a year ago.
Saudi Arabia has shut the only land border to Qatar, through which the country of 300,000 gets as much as 40% of its food supply, leading to empty shelves in supermarkets and fears that food and water will soon run out.
"The president offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary", Trump's office said after the call. But Trump said that he, Tillerson and military leaders had decided during Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia last month that a public rebuke was needed.
Trump said he had helped to plan the move against Qatar, although a senior administration official told Reuters this week that Washington had had no indication from the Saudis or Emiratis during the visit that they would sever ties with Qatar.
In a day of mixed messages and chaotic diplomacy, Tillerson emphasized the economic, humanitarian and military damage he said the blockade was inflicting. 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 U.S. airbase in the Middle East.
"We believe these are unintended consequences, especially during this Holy Month of Ramadan, but they can be addressed immediately", he said.
The incident triggered a diplomatic row between Qatar and its neighbours.
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"Qatar is accused of having a hidden relationship with Iran, but its relations with Iran are clear, transparent and time-tested", said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, noting that the UAE does more trade with Iran than Qatar does.
Still, the Pentagon has been developing contingency plans in case there's any interruption, defense officials said. Despite attempts of mediation by the US and Kuwait, Bahrain has also now declared that "any options" were possible as the crisis escalates. The Qatari Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Numerous others added to the list are figures associated with the Muslim Brotherhood who have made Qatar a base, including Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousef al-Qaradawi.
The three Sunni Gulf countries - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE - along with Egypt accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region because of its ties to their Shiite rival, Iran, and its support for groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
"Qatar has a history of supporting groups that span the spectrum of political expression, from activism to violence", Tillerson said.
"Qatar has made efforts to prosecute significant terrorist financiers".
The spat has led to one of the worst Gulf crises in decades, with suspended flights and regional ports closed to Qatari ships.
Thursday's statement added the list would be updated with new individuals and organizations based in or funded by Qatar.
On Saturday, Niger announced it had recalled its ambassador to Qatar in solidarity with Arab countries.
A separate SPA report on Saturday acknowledged Tillerson's call for Qatar to curtail support for terrorism, without mentioning that he had also said the crisis was hurting ordinary Qataris, impairing business and harming the USA fight against the Islamic State militant group. Urging all sides to avoid further escalation of the conflict, Tillerson said the elements were available to resolve it.
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