President Donald Trump spoke Wednesday with Amir Sheikh Tameem bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and proposed a meeting with Gulf state leaders after several nations severed diplomatic ties with Qatar.
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain all severed ties with Qatar on Monday due to allegations that the Gulf state is getting too cozy with Iran. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar are all members of the U.S. Gulf-Cooperation Council. A White House statement said that Trump told Al Thani that a “strong United States-Gulf Cooperation Council partnership” is “critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability.”
The statement went on to say, “The President offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary.”
Qatar hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East and Turkey, a NATO ally, announced Wednesday that it will fast-track troop deployments to a Turkish base in Qatar.
A tweet from the president Tuesday linked Qatar to the “funding of radical ideology.” However, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert downplayed this Tuesday. She said the Gulf state still has “work to do” in cutting off terror financing, but has made “great progress.”