The four Arab states last month suspended ties with Qatar over allegations the Gulf state bankrolled Islamist extremism, an accusation Doha has consistently denied. The four states recalled their ambassadors from Doha, banned Qatar from using their airspace and ordered all Qataris to repatriate. Among the demands of Riyadh and its allies are the closure of Qatari broadcast giant Al-Jazeera, which has been banned in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Saudi Arabia and the UAE lead an Arab military coalition allied with the Yemeni government in a violent war against Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels. The war has killed more than 8,000 civilians since the coalition intervened in 2015, according to the World Health Organization.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 25, 2017 01:30 UTC