Four Arab states lead by Saudi Arabia agreed to extend until late on Tuesday a deadline for Doha to comply with a list of demands, as U.S. President Donald Trump voiced concern to both sides about the dispute, according to Reuters and other reports.
Qatar’s foreign minister said via Twitter that the demands “were meant to be rejected” with the “baseless” charges against the tiny Gulf nation, and also said the blockade on Qatar “is illegal and violates international laws.”
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have raised the possibility of further sanctions against Qatar if it does not comply with the 13 demands presented to Doha through Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator, according to Reuters.
Qatar’s foreign minister has arrived in Kuwait today, carrying a handwritten letter from the country’s ruling emir, according to the AP.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke yesterday with King Salman of Saudi Arabia to discuss the crisis.
Spoke yesterday with the King of Saudi Arabia about peace in the Middle-East. Interesting things are happening!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2017
The 13 demands Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain have given Qatar threaten to herald a major regional shake-up and, if unsuccessful, may dramatically escalate the dispute.
