Qatar calls Saudi Arabia to resolve Gulf crisis

By Zeynep Tufekci and Michael Hernandez

RIYADH (AA) -According to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman received a call from Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Than, saying that he wants to dialogue

about resolving the Gulf crisis while securing the interests of all parties.

The report stated that Prince Muhammad welcomed the proposal saying that after a mutual agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain is made, further details will be revealed.

Qatar's official news agency, QNA, announced that the phone conference was coordinated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

During a flurry of phone call diplomacy, President Trump emphasized that unity among Washington's Arab allies is vital to regional stability and countering Iran, according to the White House.

"The President also emphasized that all countries must follow through on commitments from the Riyadh Summit to defeat terrorism, cut off funding for terrorist groups, and combat extremist ideology," the White

House said in a readout of Trump's calls with Crown Prince Mohamed, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, and Qatar's Emir

Earlier this week Trump offered to mediate the crisis, citing his close relations with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi during a joint press conference with Kuwait's emir.

The report also said that the request of the Qatari Emir to "entrust representatives to discuss the disagreements on the condition that the sovereignty of the countries will not be violated" was accepted by the Saudi Crown Prince.

In early June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain collectively severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism in the region.

Doha denied the allegations, describing attempts to diplomatically isolate it as a violation of international law and its national sovereignty.