The 13 demands made by Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of Qatar last week augur a deepening of tensions in the region. Qatar has been under embargo since June 5, with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Egypt and Yemen cutting of diplomatic ties, trade and transport. With the latest set of demands, the GCC is, in effect, asking Qatar to compromise its sovereignty when it comes to foreign policy. The US state department, however, upbraided Saudi Arabia soon after for failing to come up with a justification for the embargo. On the other hand, if Iran and Turkey are drawn into the mix, West Asia could become more unstable.

Source: Indian Express June 27, 2017 19:18 UTC