Qatar's Negative Response to the Demands of Four Arab Countries; Doha Threatened with Further Actions

Foreign ministers of four Arab countries who gathered in Cairo to discuss the crisis in relations with Qatar expressed regret on Wednesday, July 14, over Qatar's 'negative' response to the thirteen conditions set by these countries, stating that this indicates Qatar's 'lack of seriousness' in resolving the crisis. According to the Associated Press, this statement was read by Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian foreign minister, at the conclusion of the meeting of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain. The four countries announced their conditions for improving relations with Qatar on July 1 and gave Qatar 10 days to respond, which was extended by another 48 hours at Kuwait's request; Qatar announced its response on Monday. Sameh Shoukry stated at a joint press conference that Qatar's response was 'generally negative' and that Doha 'has not created a basis for returning from the path of policies it pursues.' The Egyptian foreign minister also described Qatar's response as a position that 'indicates a lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation' from Doha. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, emphasized that 'sanctions against Qatar remain in place' and that the four Arab countries 'will take further actions against Qatar at the appropriate time, and these actions will be in accordance with international regulations.' Saudi Arabia and its allies have not specified what the next steps against Qatar will be, but reports suggest that they may tighten the sanctions against Doha. Last month, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE accused Qatar of 'supporting terrorism' and severed relations with the country. Qatar denies these accusations. Saudi Arabia and its allies have set thirteen conditions for Qatar, stating that the economic and diplomatic blockade will not be lifted until these demands are met. Among these conditions, Qatar is asked to severely limit its relations with Iran and close the Turkish military base on its territory, as well as cut ties with regional Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran. The closure of Qatar's Al Jazeera television network, which faces opposition from Saudi Arabia and some other Arab countries, and Qatar's cooperation in pursuing opponents of the governments of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE, the US, and other countries are also among the thirteen conditions for improving relations with Qatar. Qatar has rejected the ultimatum from Saudi Arabia and its allies, deeming the thirteen conditions unreasonable and a violation of its sovereignty. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari foreign minister, did not provide details about this response during his press conference on Tuesday but reiterated that the demands of Saudi Arabia and its allies are 'unrealistic and impractical.' Despite pressures on Doha to reduce relations with Iran, the Qatari foreign minister stated on Wednesday that he believes the campaign against his country is 'driven solely by Saudi Arabia and the UAE,' emphasizing that it is necessary for his country to have 'healthy and constructive' relations with Iran as a neighboring country. According to the Associated Press, US President Donald Trump, while heading to Poland, called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi from Air Force One and discussed the Qatar crisis with him. In this phone call, Trump urged 'all parties' to engage in 'constructive negotiations with Qatar' to resolve the crisis and to 'stop funding terrorists and reject extremist ideology.' Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, stated on Sunday that some of the conditions set by a group of Arab countries for improving relations with Qatar are 'very tough conditions,' but he also called for the four countries and Qatar to cooperate and find a solution to this crisis.