{"id":325418,"date":"2017-06-05T05:54:52","date_gmt":"2017-06-05T05:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=325418"},"modified":"2017-06-05T05:54:52","modified_gmt":"2017-06-05T05:54:52","slug":"qatar-row-four-countries-cut-links-with-doha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/06\/qatar-row-four-countries-cut-links-with-doha\/","title":{"rendered":"Qatar row: Four countries cut links with Doha"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region.<\/p>\n

They say Qatar backs terrorist groups including Islamic State (IS).<\/p>\n

The Saudi state news agency SPA said Riyadh had closed its borders, severing land, sea and air contact with Qatar and largely isolating it.<\/p>\n

It cited officials as saying it was to “protect its national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism”.<\/p>\n

The unprecedented move is being seen as the most serious split yet between powerful Gulf countries, who are also close US allies.<\/p>\n

The row comes two weeks after the same four countries blocked Qatari news sites. Controversial comments by Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, appearing to criticise Saudi Arabia, appeared online.<\/p>\n

The government in Doha dismissed the comments as fake, attributing the report to a “shameful cybercrime”.<\/p>\n

In the latest developments:<\/p>\n