Neither side in the Gulf divide can afford to back down or be seen to have failed in achieving its objectives. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have this time raised the stakes by not only breaking off diplomatic relations but also declaring an economic embargo. The longer tiny Qatar with a citizenry of only 300,000 people resists Saudi and UAE pressure, the more embarrassing it is for the two Gulf states. Oman, one of two Gulf states to have refrained from joining the Saudi-UAE campaign, has opened its ports to Qatari shipping that no longer can access key Saudi and UAE ports. It was not clear whether General Mansour maintains close contacts within the Qatari military and intelligence community.

Source: Huffington Post June 12, 2017 14:26 UTC