Politics
13:32, 09-Sep-2017
Saudi Arabia suspends dialogue with Qatar
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Saudi Arabia has halted all dialogue with Qatar, accusing the emirate of "distorting facts." The new conflict comes just after a phone call between the leaders of both countries was reported.
The call on Friday was the first publicly reported contact that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim had since the two countries cut ties in June.
State media from both countries earlier reported the expression of interest in talks. However, the prospect of a thaw did not last long as the Saudi Press Agency subsequently accused Qatari state media of wrongly implying that Riyadh had initiated the outreach.
The development came after US President Donald Trump on Friday spoke separately with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
The White House said Trump told them that unity among Washington's Arab partners was essential to promoting regional stability and countering the threat of Iran.