Arab countries agree to end years-long feud with Qatar that divided Gulf

The boycotting nations, often known as the Arab quartet, additionally cited political variations with Qatar over Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. Doha, not like its Gulf neighbors, has pleasant relations with Tehran, supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and has hosted teams affiliated with the Islamist group.

In the course of the signing of the assertion, the Saudi Crown Prince known as on Arab states to affix ranks to counter the dominion’s regional archrival, Iran.

“At the moment, we’re in dire have to unite our efforts to advance our area and face the challenges that encompass us,” mentioned bin Salman. “Particularly the threats posed by the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, its ballistic missile program, and its damaging sabotage tasks which are adopted by (Iran’s) terrorist and sectarian proxies and their actions which are aimed toward destabilizing safety and stability within the area.”

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, who’s credited with serving to to usher within the detente, was within the room the place the settlement was being signed.

‘A vivid new web page’

Forward of the summit, Kuwait’s international minister introduced Monday that Saudi Arabia would reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar. Kuwait, which has mediated the disaster because it started, mentioned the ultimate settlement was the results of a name between Kuwaiti Emir Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, the Qatari Emir and the Saudi Crown Prince.

Bin Salman was elevated from Deputy Crown Prince to Crown Prince a month after the beginning of the dispute, and is extensively seen as an architect of the Qatar boycott. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, who will not be attending the GCC summit, was additionally seen as a driving power behind the bid to isolate Doha.

The embargo got here at a time of heightened tensions with Iran, and fractured Gulf Arab unity. The quartet introduced 13 sweeping calls for, together with the closure of Doha’s pan-Arab TV station Al Jazeera, ending Turkey’s army presence in Qatar, and curbing diplomatic ties with Iran.

Because the dispute apparently nears an finish, it’s unclear if any of the preliminary preconditions to finish the spat have been met. Al Jazeera continues to broadcast, and Doha’s relations with Tehran and Ankara seem intact. The small print within the assertion signed Tuesday weren’t launched.

The UAE’s minister of state for international affairs, Anwar Gargash, mentioned Tuesday’s summit marked the start of “a vivid new web page.”

Saudi Arabia first signaled that a breakthrough on the Qatar disaster was afoot final month. Regional pundits say that Riyadh could also be expediting a decision in an effort to enhance its standing with the incoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden.

Saudi Arabia has has robust relations with the Trump White Home, which empowered their bid to include Iran. However a Biden presidency could put them in uncharted waters. As a presidential candidate, Biden promised to finish US assist for the Saudi-led battle in Yemen, and has vowed to finish Washington’s “clean examine” to the dominion.