The Qatari government has banned its citizens from buying or selling goods made in a Saudi-led group of countries that maintain a blockade on the country, in a move that further shatters hopes for the settlement of the political crisis.
The Arab countries that imposed a blockade on Qatar have asked Doha to give up its right to host the football world cup in 2022 in exchange for lifting of the siege, a Qatari official claimed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a meeting with Qatar’s ambassador underlined Tehran’s opposition to any pressure on its neighbours by any party.
Saudi Arabia has suspended any plan for holding dialogue with Qatar shortly after a phone call between the leaders of both countries suggested a breakthrough in the Persian Gulf dispute.
A senior political analyst has highlighted Iran’s geopolitical significance for Qatar, saying Tehran is more useful to Doha than any other regional state.
A political commentator says Saudi Arabia has failed to intimidate Qatar into severing its newly-shaped relations with Iran, and has no more cards to play to keep Doha from edging closer to Tehran.
A political commentator says Qatar’s decision to return its ambassador to Tehran amounts to Doha’s admission of the mistake it had made in dealing with Iran last year.
The United Arabic Emirates has once again criticized Qatar for deciding to restore full diplomatic ties with Iran by deciding to send its ambassador back to Tehran.
As diplomatic row continues to rage on between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, some media reports on a number of secret meetings between the two sides’ officials have sparked mixed reactions, particularly in Qatari circles.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani says the country is concerned about the safety of its citizens in Saudi Arabia following the reopening of the countries’ border enabling Qataris to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
While Tehran has remained Doha’s close ally amid the ongoing crisis in the Arab country’s relations with Saudi Arabia and a number of other states, Qatari officials have not included Iran in a list of 80 countries whose citizens can travel to Qatar without obtaining a visa.
Officials from Iran, Turkey and Qatar discussed the creation of a joint trade route on the sidelines of President Hassan Rouhani’s swearing-in ceremony in Tehran.
After Qatar’s protest, the Syrian government has also slammed Saudi Arabia for politicization of Hajj pilgrimage, saying the Saudi authorities continue to deny Syrian citizens the right to perform this Islamic duty.
Turkish ambassador to Tehran has criticized the approach Saudi Arabia and a number of its Arab allies have adopted towards Qatar, saying the only way to handle the ongoing crisis in the Persian Gulf region is engaging in a meaningful dialogue rather than giving ultimatums.
Saudi-led bloc has dropped the list of 13 demands for Qatar saying Doha does not need to close down Al Jazeera News Network. They are now urging Qatar to commit to six principles.
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military aide to the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, says the recent diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar is part of a plot hatched by the US.
Qatar on Monday responded to a list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies after they agreed to give Doha another 48 hours to address their grievances.
Qatar has announced the arrival of a new group of Turkish armed forces to the military base in southwest of Doha to join the Turkish troops already deployed there.
