Emir Won’t Visit US While Qatar Is Under Blockade

Qatari officials say their emir will not accept an invitation from President Trump to visit the United States for “mediation talks” over the ongoing split between them and other Gulf Arab states, saying that the emir doesn’t plan to leave the country at all while Saudi Arabia and others continue to blockade the country.

Qatar has had no land border since Monday, when Saudi Arabia cut off the lone border crossing. They, along with Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, have all banned Qatari planes and ships from their countries, and have ordered all Qatari civilians out.

Since Qatar relies on food and water imports, and the trucks carrying those are stuck at thee border, Qatar is in the process of making deals with both Iran and Turkey to provide alternative sources for basic supplies. Iran would be extremely close, with Iranian export officials saying they could have a shipment in Qatar within 12 hours.

Qatari FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani harshly criticized the blockade today, insisting that no one has a right to impose a blockade on Qatar over its foreign policy positions, and that he believes there is “nothing to negotiate” with the nations that have closed their borders to them.