Saudi Arabia and allies hail Trump warning to Qatar

Saudi Arabia and allies hail Trump warning to Qatar Saudi Arabia and allies hail Trump warning to Qatar Saudi Arabia and its allies on Saturday welcomed an accusation by President Donald Trump that Qatar was bankrolling extremism but ignored a separate US call for them to ease their economic blockade. Trump’s comments came as Washington joins intensifying international efforts to heal the worsening rift between the key Western Gulf allies, which has escalated into the region’s worst diplomatic crisis in years. Qatar denies the allegations and has sent its top diplomat on a tour of European capitals in a bid to drum up support. But its neighbours seized on Trump’s remarks as vindication of their position and of the crippling sanctions they imposed on Monday. The United Arab Emirates welcomed “President Trump’s leadership in challenging Qatar’s troubling support for extremism”.