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Saudi Arabia suspends dialogue with Qatar after phone call

September 9, 2017 at 2:12 pm

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attends a football match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 18 May 2017 [Bandar Algaloud / Saudi Kingdom Council / Handout – Anadolu Agency]

Saudi Arabia on Saturday suspended any dialogue with Qatar, accusing it of “distorting facts”, just after a report of a phone call between the leaders of both countries suggested a breakthrough in the Gulf dispute.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by the telephone with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Friday when they discussed the Gulf dispute, state media from both countries reported earlier.

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 Mohammad 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.