Qatar orbits Iran stalling to solve Gulf crisis

CAIRO – 17 October 2017: Qatar is still "orbiting" Iran, while not initiating to resolve the crisis with its Arab neighbors, said Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa.

“We are not losers,” Sheikh Khaled said as Asharq Al-Awsat reported. “We are concerned about the stability and prosperity of our countries, the security and progress of our peoples before anything else, and it is up to them – the Qataris – if they want to resolve their crisis or not.”

“Arab countries now have a clearer picture of the source of danger in the region; it is quite clear that Iran represents the greatest threat to the region's security and stability,” he added.

Sheikh Khaled also stated that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain strongly support U.S President Donald Trump's strategy regarding the possibility of terminating the nuclear deal with Iran.

“Bahrain welcomed this strategy because it is one of the countries that have suffered the most from Iranian terrorism and Iranian interventions, and we are waiting for this strategy to progress and achieve its objectives and not be withdrawn,” he explained.

Kuwait will send delegates in the coming period to other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to deliver letters to the Gulf leaders about the upcoming GCC summit in Kuwait in December.

“The summit [will be held] on time, upon an invitation by the host country,” the Bahraini minister said about the summit.

On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed their diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, funding terrorism and having close ties with the regional foe Iran.

GCC member Kuwait has launched mediation efforts to find a common ground to end the crisis; however, Doha rejected the 13 demands made by the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ), foiling the mediation attempt.