What leverage does the US have in the Gulf dispute?
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in the region to push for an end to the worst crisis to hit the GCC in decades.
The US secretary of state has visited Qatar on the second stop of his Gulf tour.
He was in Kuwait on Monday, which has been mediating in the standoff between Qatar and its neighbours.
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The United States hopes to negotiate a resolution to the diplomatic crisis, which began over a month ago.
Rex Tillerson has been speaking to the emir of Qatar, pushing for dialogue to solve the dispute.
He says Qatar has been clear in its positions, describing them as “reasonable”.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt cut ties with Doha last month, accusing it of supporting “terrorism” – allegations that Qatar’s government has strongly rejected.
So, will Tillerson’s shuttle diplomacy ease tensions in the region?
Presenter: Hazem Sika
Guests:
Shafeeq Ghabra – Professor of political science at Kuwait University
Nasser Al Khalifa – Former Qatari ambassador to the US and the United Nations
Andrew Bowen – Visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
Published On 12 Jul 2017