What Exactly Is the U.S. Policy on Qatar?
Trump administration officials, including the president, have issued seemingly contradictory statements about the dispute among Arab states.
This week six Arab countries—Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, and Yemen—severed their relations with Qatar over its alleged support of terrorism. The action went further than any previous Arab response to Qatar’s alleged support: It included stopping all flights, preventing all travel, and the closure of all borders.
The move, which came after President Trump visited Riyadh in May and called for a united front against ISIS and extremism, could have far-reaching consequences for U.S. alliances in the Middle East, as well
