Gulf Arab States Alliance facing major crisis
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A United Arab Emirates government minister on Sunday warned that an alliance of Gulf Arab states was facing a major crisis and he said there was an urgent need to rebuild trust.
Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, made his comments on Twitter less than a week after Saudi Arabia and the UAE signaled frustration at Qatar. Its state media published purported remarks by Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani criticizing Gulf rhetoric against Iran and suggesting strains between the emir and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Tensions have been rising between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbors, who accuse Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries including Syria and Yemen.
Qatar denied making the critical comments, saying its news agency had been hacked, but Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates allowed their state-backed media to continue running the story, angering Doha.
"The Gulf Cooperation Council countries are passing through a new sharp crisis that carries within it a great danger," Gargash said. "Fending off sedition lies in changing behavior, building trust and regaining credibility," he added, without mentioning Qatar by name
