DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on the Gulf crisis after Saudi Arabia and other nations cut ties to Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism (all times local):
5:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump says that Middle Eastern leaders complained about the Gulf state of Qatar when he demanded an end to support for radical ideology that encourages terrorism.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump did not take a position on the decision by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations to sever diplomatic relations with Qatar but appeared to suggest it was understandable.
“During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!,” Trump tweeted.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremists. All of the countries are friendly with the U.S., putting Trump in a potentially awkward position.
Trump met with Qatar’s emir during the president’s visit to Saudi Arabia last month.
“We are friends, we’ve been friends now for a long time, haven’t we?” Trump asked at the meeting. “Our relationship is extremely good.”
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3:30 p.m.
Egyptian officials say the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors has yet to affect the 300,000 Egyptian workers in the tiny, energy-rich country, amid fears they could be expelled or stranded.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday and have moved to cut off all air, land and sea routes to the country, which they accuse of supporting terrorism, charges Qatar denies.
Egyptian Charge d’Affaires Ihab Abdel-Hamid told The Associated Press he is returning to Egypt on Wednesday after being recalled. EgyptAir, the national carrier, has suspended all flights from and to Qatar.
Abdel-Hamid said “I myself have to find a third country, a transit point tomorrow.” Many people are flying back through Kuwait, which has stepped in to mediate the dispute.
Mohammed el-Iraqi, the spokesman for the Egyptian community in Qatar, has told Egyptian media that Egyptians in Qatar panicked when the crisis erupted but that so far it has had no impact on their businesses.
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3:10 p.m.
Saudi Arabia is revoking Qatar Airways’ operating licenses as part of a package of punitive measures against the Gulf country.
In a statement carried on the state-run Saudi Press Agency Tuesday, the aviation authority says it will close the airline’s offices in the kingdom within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the Saudi ports authority says Qatari-flagged shipping vessels are barred from docking. It’s ordering shipping agents not to receive any vessels owned by Qatari companies or Qatari nationals and not to unload any goods from Qatar.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday and shut down land, sea and air links, accusing it of supporting terror groups in the region. Qatar denies the allegations.
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3 p.m.
The Philippines will temporarily suspend the deployment of Filipino workers to Qatar, fearing food riots and other potential problems amid the diplomatic crisis gripping the energy-rich Gulf nation.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello says the ban took effect Tuesday but there is no plan yet to repatriate the more than 200,000 Filipino workers in Qatar.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab powers severed diplomatic ties Monday with Qatar and moved to isolate the nation, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups and backing Iran.
Saudi Arabia closed its land border with Qatar, through which the tiny Gulf nation and international travel hub imports most of its food, sparking a run on supermarkets.
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2:30 p.m.
Turkey’s prime minister says his country will press ahead with efforts to try and end a standoff between Qatar and its Arab neighbors through dialogue.
In a speech to his ruling party’s legislators Tuesday, Binali Yildirim also said that the nations should not allow “unfounded news reports” to tarnish relations.
It was a reference to Qatar saying that its state-run news agency and its Twitter account were hacked to publish a fake story claiming the emir, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, had called Iran a “regional and Islamic power that cannot be ignored.” State-linked media in the region ignored Qatar’s denial and continued to report the comments.
Yildirim said: “We will continue our active stance in order to develop a friendly dialogue that would suit the holy month of Ramadan.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office has said he held a series of telephone calls on Monday in a bid to ease tensions.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations cut ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting regional terrorist groups, charges denied by Doha.
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10:45 p.m.
A Qatari sports network has been blocked in the United Arab Emirates over a major diplomatic dispute.
Channels of the beIN Media Group appeared blocked on Tuesday, a day after the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting regional terror groups, charges denied by Doha.
Authorities and telecommunications companies did not provide further details. The channels of Doha-based satellite network Al-Jazeera have also been blocked.
The network acquired Al Jazeera’s sports channels in 2013. It broadcasts in North America, Europe and Asia, as well as the Middle East and North Africa.
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6:45 a.m.
Qatar’s foreign minister says Kuwait is trying to mediate and solve a diplomatic crisis that has seen Arab nations cut off diplomatic ties.
The minister said early Tuesday that Kuwait’s ruler had asked Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to hold off on giving a speech about the crisis.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also told Doha-based satellite news network Al-Jazeera that his nation rejected those “trying to impose their will on Qatar or intervene in its internal affairs.”
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday and ordered their land, sea and airports closed to Qatari aircraft and vessels. It’s the worst diplomatic crisis to strike the region since the 1991 Gulf War.
