Washington D. C. [USA], June 8 : U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been accused of being responsible for the prevailing Gulf crisis, has now offered to host a White House meeting to resolve it.
In a call with Qatari Emir Tameem Bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday, the President offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary, according to a White House statement.
The statement said that Trump emphasised the importance of all countries in the region working together to prevent the financing of terrorist organisations and stop the promotion of extremist ideology.
"The President reiterated that a united Gulf Cooperation Council and a strong United States-Gulf Cooperation Council partnership are critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability," the statement added.
Recently, six Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as the Western-recognised governments of Yemen and Libya, abruptly cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, after accusing it of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamist political movement that allegedly supports pro-Iran militias, and funding terror activities.
The Middle Eastern countries were later joined by the Indian Ocean island nation of The Maldives. Following the crisis, Iranian officials accused the U.S. of setting the scene for the escalating Gulf diplomatic crisis during President Donald Trump's recent trip to the Saudi Arabia.
Two weeks ago, on his first foreign visit, Trump met the rulers of several Middle Eastern countries to discuss measures to limit Iran's power in the region, a gathering which he had hoped "may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East." He also announced (Dollar) 110 billion-worth of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.
The present tension in the Gulf started right after Trump left the region. Tensions surged between countries closer to Saudi Arabia (such as Bahrain, and Egypt) and others, such Qatar, with ties to Iran.
Earlier, a Saudi press agency statement said the move was necessary because of "grave violations being committed by the authorities in Doha over the past years in secret and public," including giving shelter to various terrorist groups, some of them backed by Iran.
Qatar has maintained its diplomatic clout in part by being the home of U.S. Central Command and the U.S's largest air base in the region and hosting branches of prestigious Western universities.
Source: ANI
