U.S. urges Gulf states to ease Qatar blockade due to humanitarian consequences, fight against ISIS
Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to ease their blockade against Qatar as it was causing unintended humanitarian consequences.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to ease their blockade against Qatar, saying it was causing unintended humanitarian consequences and affecting the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State.
“Our expectation is that these countries will immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation and put forth a good faith effort to resolve their grievances they have with each other,” Tillerson said in a brief statement to reporters.
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Also, according to the Pentagon, a blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states was not affecting current operations against Islamic State, but was “hindering” the ability to plan for long-term operations.
“While current operations from Al Udeid Air Base have not been interrupted or curtailed, the evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations,” Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is home to more than 11,000 U.S. and coalition forces and an important base for the fight against Islamic State. He did not explain how exactly it was affecting planning for longer-term operations. Davis said Qatar remained critical for air operations against Islamic State
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