President Donald Trump intervened with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and and the United Arab Emirates after the two nations considered taking military action against Qatar as their dispute escalated, according to a report.
After getting word of the possibility, Trump called the leaders of both nations and urged them to hold back, Bloomberg News reported.
The two nations banned air travel and cut off diplomatic ties to Qatar in June, blaming Qatar for funding terrorism and backing Iran.
Trump urged caution, according to the report, arguing that military action would trigger a broader crisis.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani at the Palace Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump has said with his help a diplomatic solution could be found quickly, although the nations have been in a standoff since this summer.
Trump met with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, at the UN on Tuesday.
“It’s my great honor to be with the emir of Qatar. We’ve been friends a long time. People don’t realize that. We’ve known each other for a long time. And we are right now in a situation where we’re trying to solve a problem in the Middle East and I think we’ll get it solved.’
Trump continued: ‘I have a very strong feeling that it will be solved pretty quickly. But we’re talking also trade and many other things.’
A Saudi source denied the report, which paraphrased the official as saying the allegations were entirely incorrect, have been denied, and amount to misleading Qatari propaganda.
President Donald Trump waits for a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the Palace Hotel on September 19, 2017 in New York City, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the Palace Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, in New York. He said Tuesday: ‘We have a problem with our neighbors, and your interference will help a lot’
MAYBE JARED CAN SOLVE IT: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L), US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (2L), National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster (2R) and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner wait for a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, US President Donald Trump and others at the Palace Hotel on September 19, 2017 in New York City
The two nations organized a punishing trade embargo and are demanding the closing of Qatar-based Al Jazeera.
Trump earlier this month was optimistic he could force a breakthrough. ‘I think you’d have a deal worked out very quickly,’ he said. But a call he arranged between the leaders of Qatar and Saudi Arabia didn’t bear fruit and led to disparate statements from the two nations.
Trump took a similar tone Tuesday.
‘And we’ve had a tremendous relationship for the last short period of time, especially since our meeting in Saudi Arabia, which I think was an epic and very important — really a very historic meeting,’ the president said. ‘And now we want to make the most of it by getting things settled. But we also want to continue trade and many other things.’
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) meets with other foreign ministers including (2nd L-R) Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Saudi Arabia’s Adel al-Jubeir during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S. September 18, 2017
Al Thani replied: ‘As you said, Mr. President, we have a problem with our neighbors, and your interference will help a lot. And I’m sure that, with your interference, hopefully we can find a solution for this problem.’
He added: ‘We’ve always said that we’re very open for dialogue, and we’ll always be open for dialogue.’
The Saudis, the UAE, and Bahrain cut off relations with Qatar on June 5. Qatar shares the world’s largest oil field with Iran. It admits to supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, but denies supporting ISIS and Al Qaeda. It reached a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. when Trump visited Saudi Arabia this year.
The nations presented Qatar with a list of 13 demands, which Qatar said amounted to surrendering its sovereignty.