US President Donald Trump spoke separately with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar on Sunday about the ongoing disputes between Qatar and its Gulf and Arab neighbors, the White House said.

Mr. Trump reiterated the importance of stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology as well as underscored that unity in the region is critical to accomplishing the Riyadh Summit's goals of defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability.

The White House said President Trump believes that the overriding objective of his initiative is the cessation of funding for terrorism.

A group of Arab countries accused Qatar of backing terrorism and issued a demands list to end the rift.

With the deadline expiring at the end of Sunday, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed to give Doha two more days to respond positively to their demands after a request by Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator in the Gulf crisis.        

(With input from Reuters)