CAIRO (Sputnik) — On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs.
"[Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh] Shoukry confirmed determination of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to change Qatar's policy which stands for destabilization in the region by financing and harboring terrorist organizations," the statement issued following a telephone talk between Shoukry and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini read.
On June 23, Kuwait, which is serving as a mediator between Qatar and the Gulf States, handed the demands of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain over to Doha. The requests include the severance of Qatar’s relations with Iran, closure of Turkey’s military base on Qatar's territory and a shutdown of the Al Jazeera TV channel. Qatar missed the deadline for the response set for Monday and called the conditions impossible.
