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Trump’s Saudi Support Seen Fraying Ties between Gulf Allies

Trump’s Saudi Support Seen Fraying Ties between Gulf Allies
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Glen Carey, Zainab Fattah

The Arab show of unity with President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia had just ended when a spat erupted between energy-rich US allies he met -- and praised -- during his visit to the kingdom.

Trump’s Saudi Support Seen Fraying Ties between Gulf Allies

Three days after Trump and King Salman singled out Iran as the world's main sponsor of terrorism, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates accused Qatar of trying to undermine efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic. Newspapers, clerics and even celebrities attacked Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: Riyadh-based Al-Jazeera went as far as accusing him of stabbing his neighbors with Iran's dagger.

Emboldened by closer US ties under Trump, analysts say Saudi Arabia and the UAE seek to smash any opposition that could weaken a united front against Iranian influence in the Middle East. The two countries are also putting pressure on Qatar to end its support for movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.

"We're seeing the US under President Trump very closely aligning itself with the interests of Saudi Arabia," said Peter Salisbury, senior research fellow at Chatham House's Middle East & North Africa Program. "One wonders whether that alignment makes the Saudis feel that they are now empowered to really swat down anyone within their region or within their allies who might try to pursue a more independent path."

Market Risk

Internal disputes among the Gulf countries could limit their appeal to foreign investors. Even before Trump's visit, Citigroup said rising tensions between the US and Iran could also have "significant"' implications for oil and financial markets, according to a May 11 research note.

Trump spent two days in Riyadh, overseeing deals he said were worth almost $400 billion. He also held talks with Sheikh Tamim to discuss Qatar's purchase of American military equipment, and said the two countries have "been friends now for a long time."

The latest crisis started when the state-run Qatar News Agency carried comments by Sheikh Tamim criticizing the mounting anti-Iran sentiment. Officials quickly deleted the comments, blamed them on hackers and appealed for calm.

That didn't stop Saudi and UAE media outlets from launching a verbal war against Qatar, and their attacks escalated after Sheikh Tamim's phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the weekend in apparent defiance of Saudi criticism...

Source: Bloomberg, Edited by website team

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