The split between Qatar and other Gulf Arab states, dominated by Saudi Arabia, continues to loom large in Middle East diplomacy today with the other nations in the region feeling obliged to react. The Maldives has cut ties with Qatar, as have the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, and the Tobruk parliament in Libya.
Israel also issued a statement backing the general idea of hostility toward Qatar, although they didn’t really have relations to break in the first place, with Defense Secretary Avigdor Lieberman excitedly calling it an “opportunity” for Israel.
On the other side of the coin, Turkey’s President Erdogan issued a statement of disapproval toward the moves against Qatar, saying that they believe the region needs unity now more than ever. Iran had also issued a statement the previous day criticizing the move.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder Abadi issued his own statement on the matter, saying that Iraq is eager to not take sides in the dispute, and hoping they can keep good relations with everyone on both sides. It may serve them well to stay out of the incident, which is economically costly for all involved, but with everyone else picking sides it may be hard to sustain neutrality.
