Qatar defiant after missing sanctions deadline

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.

It has been given a further 48 hours to cut ties with Iran, close the state-funded Al Jazeera news network and end military cooperation with Turkey, amid other conditions.

However, Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the 13-point ultimatum was "made to be rejected".

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

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."