... and the Gulf. The EU has a specific relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), they have been working on a free trade agreement for some 18 years and it is still... ... their relationship. The UAE too is allied to nearly all EU states.
Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of supporting terrorism. In your opinion, are these claims grounded? How do you... ... militias.
Also, over the past 6–7 years, Qatar has started to work very closely with Iran, while Saudi Arabia and Iran have hostile relationships. Iran is responsible for...
... that aimed to interfere with Qatar’s plans.
Another factor that prompted Saudi Arabia to make its recent measures against Qatar even harsher than those of 2014 was the general atmosphere in the GCC. In fact, Riyadh's attempts to become the primary power of the Islamic world have recently met serious opposition even within ... ... Saudi leaders had so far considered their own pet structure.
For instance, Oman has been actively reinforcing its ties with Iran. Since 2011, it has conducted
joint naval training
with the Iranian fleet. Moreover, Muscat refused to back Saudi Arabia’s ...
... efforts fail. The threat of a more serious confrontation might arise, possibly leading to a smooth transition of power in the emirate.
Scenario three: with confrontation intensifying, Qatar would resort to aggressive measures, disaffiliating from the GCC and would face further rapprochement with Turkey and Iran. In this case, Qatar’s policies on Syria might undergo certain changes, whereupon Doha is likely to join the Astana troika, turning it into a quartet.
Scenario four: the conflict escalates abruptly, giving rise to a military confrontation with grave consequences for ...
... not being able to hold out in the long term puts some real pressure on Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. These three states mainly have been active from the start of the conflict... ... increasing volume of political and economic capital towards the rebels. Should the GCC states not up the ante in terms of their support for the moderate rebels against... ... light of possible significant losses, the potential for domestic blowback in allowing Iran to achieve its aims would be a serious issue. There has been plenty of talk and...
