Qatar risks further sanctions and deepening the crisis in the Gulf after missing a deadline to comply with demands set by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies.
However, Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the 13-point ultimatum was "made to be rejected".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, he said: "We believe that the world is governed by international laws that don't allow big countries to bully small countries.
"No one has the right to issue to a sovereign country an ultimatum."
Al Thani also said Qatar was "willing to engage in providing the proper condition for further dialogue", but his Saudi counterpart said the demands were non-negotiable.
"It's up to the Qataris to amend their behaviour and once they do, things will be worked out, but if they don't they will remain isolated," said Adel al-Jubeir, Al Jazeera reports.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar last month, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha strongly denies the claims.
It is unclear what consequences Qatar will face if it misses tomorrow's deadline. "The four anti-Qatar states have only hinted at how they will respond if their ultimatum is spurned," says The Guardian.
"UAE diplomats have suggested either suspending Qatar from the Gulf Co-operation Council, the regional trading bloc, or seeking to impose sanctions on countries that continue to trade with Qatar."
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
-
American universities are losing ground to their foreign counterpartsThe Explainer While Harvard is still near the top, other colleges have slipped
-
How to navigate dating apps to find ‘the one’The Week Recommends Put an end to endless swiping and make real romantic connections
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
