UAE: No Military Action Planned Against Qatar

Yousef Al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the US, stated on Tuesday, June 13, that the Arab countries that severed ties with Qatar do not have plans for military action against the country, but economic pressures will intensify if Qatar does not change its policies. According to Reuters, the UAE ambassador told reporters that the actions we are taking against Qatar will have absolutely no military aspect. He added that in four meetings and discussions with General Jim Mattis, the US Secretary of Defense last week, he assured that our actions will have no impact on the operations of Al Udeid Air Base and other supporting bases in Qatar. Over 11,000 US military personnel and coalition forces, along with 100 military aircraft, are stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, three members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, along with Egypt, cut their political and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremists. Qatar is accused of supporting Islamist groups in the region and Iran. These countries have closed their maritime, air, and land borders with Qatar and imposed economic sanctions on Doha. In response to the question of whether further actions against Qatar will be taken, the UAE ambassador stated that we have sanctioned 59 individuals and 12 Qatari entities and institutions, which included freezing assets and closing bank accounts. If there is no change in policy or negotiations to change Qatar's approach, economic pressures will intensify. Yousef Al-Otaiba added that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt each have separate lists of their conditions, and efforts are underway to compile all these conditions into a single list. Previously, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Foreign Minister, stated that the conditions set by the four countries that severed relations with Qatar are completely 'clear': Doha must 'return to its previous commitments, stop its media propaganda, and cease support for Iran as our number one enemy.' Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari Foreign Minister, responded to the sanctions against Doha by saying, 'They have isolated us because we are a successful and prosperous country. We are a platform for peace, not terrorism. This dispute has endangered the stability of the entire region. We will not surrender.' The recent round of tensions between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain began after a report of remarks attributed to the Emir of Qatar was published by the country's state news agency. Qatar claims these remarks are fake and that its state news agency was hacked.