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TASS-DOSIER. On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Yemen, the Maldives and the Libyan transitional government under the leadership of Abdullah Abdurrahman al-Thani announced a break in diplomatic relations with Qatar.

Qatar's interference in internal politics neighboring countries and support for terrorist groups operating in the region.

This is not the first aggravation of relations between Qatar and these Arab countries. The editors of TASS-DOSIER have prepared material on the contradictions between them.

Saudi Arabia

The conflict between the two countries is due to religious and ideological contradictions and the desire of Doha and Riyadh to play a leading role in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are countries of Wahhabi Islam (a religious and political movement calling for a return to the order of the time of the Prophet Muhammad).

At the same time, both countries interpret the teachings of the founder of Wahhabism, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, in different ways. The ruling dynasty of Qatar, leading its lineage from al-Wahhab, believes that it is in Qatar that the true ideas of Wahhabism have been preserved. According to Qatari theologians, the ruling Al Saud clan in Saudi Arabia distorted the ideas of Wahhabism and made them too rigid.

A major diplomatic row between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as a number of Arab countries that supported the Saudis, occurred in March 2014. Then Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates withdrew their ambassadors from Doha. Earlier, Saudi Arabia called on Qatar "to refrain from supporting elements that carry out subversive activities against the Arab states," referring to representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood movement (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation).

Meanwhile, the Qatari government continued to sponsor the BM, in connection with which the states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the League of Arab States (LAS) warned him about the possibility of exclusion from these organizations. The decision to return the ambassadors to Doha was made only six months later, in November.

The reason for the recent escalation of Qatari-Saudi relations was the attempts of the Qatari government to get closer to Iran, which is perceived by Saudi Arabia as the main rival in the Middle East. The Qatari channel Al Jazeera commented in detail and benevolently on the recent presidential elections in Iran.

Moreover, Qatar was the only Persian Gulf state to send its observers to these elections. The Emir of Qatar was one of the first to congratulate Hassan Rouhani on his victory and emphasized in his letter that he considers good Qatari-Iranian relations an important factor in stability in the Persian Gulf region and will make every effort to improve and expand these ties.

After the GCC summit in May 2017, which condemned Iran's policy in the region, the Qatari news agency posted a speech on behalf of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in support of building relations with Tehran. Later, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the agency's website was hacked, and the speech on behalf of the emir was published by hackers. However, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain found the rebuttal unconvincing.

Egypt

Contacts between Qatar and Egypt are no less tense. Bilateral relations deteriorated sharply after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013: Qatar supported his regime and sponsored the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Morsi was a spokesman.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who came to power in Egypt, banned the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and initiated criminal investigations against the activists of this movement. In response, Qatar refused to provide Cairo with $10 billion in promised aid. Egypt continues to accuse Qatar of political, financial and informational support for the Muslim Brotherhood movement banned in the country. The parties repeatedly exchanged harsh statements and diplomatic demarches.

In February 2015, Qatar withdrew its ambassador from Egypt. The reason was Qatar's refusal at a meeting of the League of Arab States to sign a statement on the right of Egypt to strike at terrorist groups outside its borders. The Egyptian government said that it was only about self-defense in connection with the mass execution of Egyptian Copts by Libyan jihadists (the Egyptian Air Force began to strike at the positions of Islamists in Libya already in February).

In March 2015, the Qatari ambassador returned to the Egyptian capital.

Bahrain

For several decades, relations between Qatar and Bahrain have been complicated by a territorial dispute due to the Huwar archipelago (about 30 islands and rocks with a total area of ​​52 sq. km, the closest of which is located less than two kilometers from the western coast of Qatar) and the underwater ridge Fisht ad-Dibl. In 1978, 1982 and 1986 border incidents occurred between the countries related to this territorial dispute, but they were all resolved through the mediation of other states of the Arabian Peninsula.

During the latest crisis in April-June 1986, the Qatari armed forces crossed the border into Bahrain and captured foreign workers building fortifications on the islands. In 1991, Qatar initiated the start of a lawsuit by appealing to the International Court of Justice. In 2001, the decision was made in favor of Bahrain.

The Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, Libya and the Maldives have announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar.

Bahrain was the first to announce the severance of diplomatic relations. The statement, posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country, says that the kingdom is recalling all employees of its embassy from the neighboring country.

The report emphasizes that the corresponding decision was made "taking into account the ongoing actions by the state of Qatar aimed at destabilizing the situation and security of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as interference in internal affairs, incitement in the media, support for terrorism and providing financial assistance Iranian-linked groups to spread instability in Bahrain."

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry also informed about the closure of sea and air communications with Qatar in the next 24 hours and demanded that the diplomatic representatives of the country leave the territory within 48 hours. According to TASS, while the subjects of the kingdom are now prohibited from visiting Qatar, Qataris who are in Bahrain are required to leave it within 14 days, now they will be denied entry to this country and transit through its territory.

Riyadh explained the decision to break off diplomatic relations with security considerations. "The authorities of Saudi Arabia, using their sovereign right guaranteed to them by international law, have decided to break off diplomatic relations with the state of Qatar in order to protect the security of their country from the threat of terrorism and extremism," the communiqué posted on the page of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Twitter.

"A decision has been made to close air, sea and land border terminals, as well as to ban transit, air traffic and the use of the territorial waters of the Kingdom of Qatar," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry announced the start of "procedures to take these measures as soon as possible in cooperation with neighboring fraternal countries, based on the interests of national security."

The Foreign Ministry also demanded that Qatari diplomats leave the kingdom and announced the withdrawal of their representatives from Doha. Saudi citizens are no longer allowed to visit Qatar, and residents located there must leave the emirate within the next 14 days. Similar requirements apply to Qatari citizens living in the kingdom.

At the same time, it is noted that Riyadh is not going to prevent the arrival of Muslim pilgrims from Qatar and their Hajj to the holy places of Islam in the cities of Mecca and Medina, located on the territory of the kingdom. This was reported by the Saudi Press Agency today, according to the authorities of Saudi Arabia. The special statement notes that, despite the break in diplomatic relations with Qatar, the kingdom is "committed to its obligations to receive and provide the necessary services to Qatari pilgrims" heading to holy places for all Muslims.

Egypt, following Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar. "The decision to break off diplomatic relations was made in connection with the spread of the ideology of Al-Qaeda * and the Islamic State * by Qatar, support for the terrorist attacks in the Sinai, the ongoing interference of Qatar in the internal affairs of the ARE (Arab Republic of Egypt) and the countries of the region, which puts jeopardize the national security of the Arab countries and sow a split in the Arab society," the diplomatic mission said in a statement.

The ministry also announced the failure of attempts to dissuade Doha from supporting terrorist groups, primarily the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist association banned in Egypt, whose leaders Qatar refuses to expel.

The United Arab Emirates also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar and the closure of air and maritime traffic with him. This was reported by the UAE News Agency.

"The United Arab Emirates reaffirms its commitment to the system of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia) in maintaining the stability and security of member countries," the country's authorities said in a statement. "Due to the ongoing policy of Qatar, which destabilizes the situation and threatens the security of the countries of the region, in the interests of the GCC, it was decided to break off diplomatic relations and expel the diplomatic representatives of the state within 48 hours," the UAE noted.

The Saudi-led coalition announced on Monday, June 5, the end of Qatar's participation in a joint military operation against the Houthi rebels, who have established control over a large part of the territory of Yemen. This was reported by Al Arabiya TV channel. This decision was explained by the command of the Arab coalition by Doha's support for illegal groups, Al-Qaeda* and ISIS*.

After that, the Yemeni authorities also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, reports Al Arabiya. The government accused Doha of supporting extremist groups in that country, and also supported the decision of the Arabian coalition to end Qatar's participation in the military operation in Yemen.

In Yemen, since August 2014, the confrontation between government forces and the rebellious Shiite movement Ansar Allah has continued. At the request of Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the Saudi Air Force, with the support of aviation from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, launched an air operation against the Houthis in March 2015. Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan and Sudan joined the Gulf coalition.

Later it became known that the example of the five Arab states was followed by Libya, which also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Dari said that the interim government led by Abdullah Abdurrahman al-Thani took this step in solidarity with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Qatar poses a threat to the national security of the Arab world, he said.

Later, the Maldives joined the group of countries that announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar, reports Al Arabiya.

As announced, Saudi Arabia is imposing a ban on landing aircraft of Qatari airlines at the airports of the kingdom. This is stated in a widespread statement by the Kingdom's General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The department noted that restrictive measures will come into force at 00:01 local time (coincides with Moscow) on June 6. The UAE and Bahrain also decided to close their airspace to Qatar within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the cancellation of flights with Qatar was announced by the Emirates airlines Etihad Airways, FlyDubai and Emirates, the airline Air Arabia, the Egyptian Egypt Air and the Saudi company Saudia. In turn, the Qatari state-owned airline Qatar Airways announced the termination of flights with Saudi Arabia.

Qatar regrets Arab decision

Meanwhile, Qatar said that they regret the decision of the Arab countries to break off diplomatic relations with Doha, and called Taken measures unjustified. This is stated in a statement by the country's Foreign Ministry, which publishes the Qatari satellite channel Al Jazeera. "These measures are not justified in any way and are based on claims and allegations that have no basis," the statement said.

The Qatari authorities specifically noted that they would do everything to counter attempts to influence the Qatari society and economy. Doha assured that the measures taken by the Arab countries will not affect the lives of citizens and residents of the country.

US urges Gulf states to unite

In turn, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday called on the states of the Persian Gulf to maintain unity and work to overcome existing contradictions, Al Jazeera reports. He noted that Washington would contribute to the organization of negotiations between the countries.

Tillerson stressed how important it is for the Gulf Cooperation Council to remain united. In addition, the Secretary of State expressed doubts that the break in diplomatic relations with Qatar will have a negative impact on the fight against terrorism in the region.

The conflict between Qatar and its neighbors in the region occurred a week after the summit of the Gulf countries and the United States in Riyadh, when the Qatar News Agency posted a speech on behalf of the country's emir in support of building relations with Iran, RIA Novosti notes. At the summit in the capital of Saudi Arabia, the kingdom, on behalf of all the guests of the meeting, condemned Iran for its hostile policy and threatened with an adequate response. Later, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the agency's website had been hacked. He assured that the speech on behalf of the Emir was published by hackers and had nothing to do with the Qatari leader.

However, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain considered the denial unconvincing and continue to believe that the words about the normalization of relations with Iran belong to the emir.

* "Al-Qaeda," Islamic State "(ISIS, ISIS, DAISH) - terrorist groups banned in the Russian Federation.

The countries of the Persian Gulf are on the verge of an unprecedented crisis - since Monday, Qatar has been in diplomatic and transport isolation. What happened and what the consequences could be, was analyzed by Radio Liberty.

What happened?

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar.

Countries have reported that they are recalling diplomats and cutting off all contact with Qatar, as well as cutting off transport links. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have given Qataris two weeks to leave their territory and have banned travel to Qatar for their citizens. Saudi Arabia also said it would close its land border with Qatar, cutting it off from the rest of the Arabian Peninsula.

Doha has also been expelled from the coalition waging war in Yemen.

The country cited Qatar's support for Islamist groups (the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, al-Qaeda) and close relations with Iran as the reason for this decision. The signatory countries consider the latter a sponsor of terrorism, in particular in Yemen.

How did this affect Qatar?

The Qatari authorities said that the decision of the four Arab countries to break off diplomatic relations is based on "unfounded allegations" and is unjustified.

Etihad, Emirates, Fly Dubai and Gulf Air said on Monday they would halt flights to and from the capital Doha from Tuesday morning. According to the American television network CNN, Qatari citizens were trying to catch the last flights home.

As oil-rich Qatar gets most of its food from Saudi Arabia, reports surfaced on social media on Monday of queues and empty supermarket shelves. People also rushed to the currency exchange kiosks, and the main stock index fell more than 7%, Al Jazeera, a pan-Arab TV channel receiving public funding right in Qatar.

Why is the crisis flaring up right now?

On May 23, Qatari state media, citing a government agency website, reported that the ruler of Qatar, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad At-Thani allegedly criticized Saudi Arabia and also allegedly made approving comments about Iran and the Shiite group Hezbollah.

This information was disseminated by the media of the Gulf countries, despite the statement of the Qatari Foreign Ministry that it appeared as a result of a hacker attack on the agency's website and did not correspond to reality.

But back in April news agencies reported on closed talks between Qatar and Tehran. Later, the British business publication Financial Times published an article according to which Qatar paid about a billion dollars to a terrorist organization associated with Al-Qaeda, as well as to Iranian intelligence services. The funds were transferred as a ransom for members of the royal family who were kidnapped in southern Iraq, the Financial Times notes.

It is in this way, according to the publication, that funds from Qatar most often end up in various groups, among which there are radical Shiite organizations supported by Iran.

Is this the first conflict?

Relations between Qatar and neighboring countries in the region have long been strained. The Gulf states see Qatar as too close to Iran and Islamic groups and movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar is also one of the countries most actively supporting Islamist militants in Syria and Libya.

In 2014, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar to protest its support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Then, however, the borders remained open, and Qatari citizens were not expelled.

Why is Donald Trump here?

The escalation came two weeks after the President of the United States Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia and called for the unification of the Muslim front against extremism, singling out Iran and its allies as a source of tension in the region.

The American president published two tweets on June 6 in which he linked his speech to the isolation of Qatar. “During my last trip to the Middle East, I stated that funding for radical ideology cannot continue. The leaders pointed to Qatar – look!”

He subsequently wrote: “It is good to see how the visit to Saudi Arabia with the king and 50 countries is already bearing fruit. They said they would take a strong stand against funding... extremism, and everyone was talking about Qatar. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end of the horrors of terrorism.”

Other reactions

The Qatari authorities said that the decision of neighbors to break off relations will not affect the normal life of the country's citizens. In an interview with CNN, the country's foreign minister Muhammad bin Abdarrahman At-Thani said that Qatar is ready for negotiations. The Emir of Kuwait assumed the role of mediator in the conflict. On Tuesday, he went to talks in Saudi Arabia.

Turkey, the United States of America and Iran issued calls for all parties to resolve their differences. Iran has promised to establish food supplies by sea within 12 hours if necessary.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said they were ready to make efforts to achieve reconciliation.

Israel's defense minister said the Gulf divide opens up opportunities for cooperation against terrorism.

How will this affect energy?

So far, oil prices rose 1.6% and then fell. Writes about it Executive Director Qamar Energy Robin Miles on the pages of the Bloomberg agency. He notes that the country is one of the smallest oil producers among OPEC countries. But Qatari gas plays a role in the region, writes Miles.

However, he doubts that the diplomatic conflict will affect the supply: major players such as Japan, North Korea, China and India could suffer as a result. Then these countries will be forced to respond.

Two more reasons why the conflict will not affect the energy market are given in an article on the website of the CBS News television network.

First, Qatar will still compromise, because it is now in a vulnerable position, surrounded by land by a larger and more powerful Saudi Arabia. In addition, the country is the second richest country after Luxembourg per capita, which means that its inhabitants have a lot to lose. State investment funds amount to 30 billion US dollars, so Qatar is a significant player in international finance too.