According to Tolo News, A senior Qatari official says Qatar hosted the Taliban based on a request from the United States, whose president, along with a number of Arab regimes, has been pressuring Doha over what they say is its support for extremist groups.

Mutlaq al-Qahtani, a senior counterterrorism adviser to Qatar’s foreign minister, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Qatar hosted the Taliban “by request by the US government” and as part of Qatar’s “open-door policy, to facilitate talks, to mediate and to bring peace.”

The Taliban opened an office in Qatar in 2013, but the Qatari government later shut it down. Taliban leaders are still said to be in Doha, however.

Qatar has come under intense pressure from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, the Maldives, and Egypt — all of which have broken off ties with Doha — over accusations that the Qatari government sponsors extremist groups, including the Taliban.

According to Iran’s Press TV a recent visit by U.S President Donald Trump to Riyadh, where he called on Arab countries to “isolate” governments supporting “terrorism” as well as Iran, is believed to have emboldened the Saudi rulers to pursue their policies more aggressively, including by assailing Qatar.

Those regional countries have suspended all land, air, and sea traffic with Qatar, ejected its diplomats, and ordered most Qatari citizens to leave.

Qahtani meanwhile told Al Jazeera that Qatar “was facilitating the talks between the Americans, the Taliban, and the government of Afghanistan.”

The U.S has a military base in Qatar, which it says is crucial to its operations in the Middle East.

Qatar has however rejected the accusations that it supports extremism, and the country’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said Doha would not “surrender” under political pressure.

This comes after Qatar appeared Sunday to be ready to listen to the concerns of Gulf Arab states that cut ties.

According to Reuters, the rift has disrupted travel, separated families, severed commercial links and sown confusion among banks and businesses. It has also deepened divisions between their respective allies fighting in wars and political struggles from Libya to Yemen.

"(Kuwait) affirms the readiness of the brothers in Qatar to understand the reality of the qualms and concerns of their brothers and to heed the noble endeavors to enhance security and stability," Kuwait's state news agency KUNA quoted Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as saying.

Reuters stated that Kuwait, which has retained ties with Qatar, said it wanted to resolve the dispute "within the unified Gulf house".

Morocco, a close ally of the Gulf countries, said on Sunday it would remain neutral and offered to facilitate dialogue, Reuters reported.

"If the parties so wish, the Kingdom of Morocco is ready to offer its services to foster a frank and comprehensive dialogue on the basis of non-interference in internal affairs and the fight against religious extremism," a statement from the country's foreign ministry read.

Reuters however stated a Qatari diplomat said the crisis reflected a lack of U.S leadership.

U.S. President Donald Trump initially offered to host Qatar and its adversaries - all U.S. allies - at the White House, but on Friday said Qatar has been a high-level sponsor of terrorism and backed the Gulf pressure.

"This is the biggest testimony to U.S failure in the Gulf," a diplomat told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "(It) gives others the impression the U.S does not know how to manage the relationship with its allies or is incapable."</s>The US ambassador to Qatar said Tuesday she is resigning her post in Doha amid the worst diplomatic crisis involving Washington’s Persian Gulf allies in years.

“This month, I end my 3 years as US Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I’ll miss this great country,” Dana Shell Smith tweeted Tuesday.

Shell Smith did not explain why she was stepping down, if she will remain in the diplomatic service or who would replace her, Agence France-Presse reported.

Many US ambassadors leave their posts after serving about three years.

But Shell Smith previously appeared to slam the Trump administration after the president sacked FBI Director James Comey.

“Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions,” she tweeted on May 9.

Last week, Trump lashed out at Qatar, demanding that it stop funding terrorism shortly after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged other Gulf nations to end their blockade of the tiny, oil-rich emirate.

“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. The time has come to call on Qatar to end its funding,” Trump said last week.

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic and economic ties with ­Qatar over longstanding allegations that the country was courting Iran and fomenting instability in the ­region.

Qatar is home to a vital US military outpost, the Al-Udeid Air Base, which houses 10,000 troops.

The Pentagon has said that while the blockade was not affecting current operations against ISIS, it was “hindering” the ability to plan for the long term.

Qatar paid $2.5 million to hire a lobbying firm run by former Attorney General John Ashcroft to audit its efforts at stopping terrorism funding, CBS News reported.

With Post wires</s>ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has deployed no troops in Qatar amid the oil-rich country’s standoff with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that reports about the deployment of Pakistan Army in Qatar were “completely fabricated and baseless”.

He added: “These false reports appear to be part of a malicious campaign aimed at creating misunderstanding between Pakistan and brotherly Muslim countries in the Gulf.”

Reports said that Pakistan had decided to send military contingent to Qatar following Turkey who sent troops to the state.

There were claims that Pakistan could send up to 20,000 soldiers to Qatar.

This month Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cut diplomatic ties with Qatar accusing it of supporting terror networks.

Pakistan did not follow the friendly countries as it also had close ties with Qatar.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has personal ties with both the Saudi and Qatari royal families.

Government officials said that Prime Minister Sharif had launched a campaign to settle the Saudi-Qatar row through talks.

“The PM may soon visit both the countries to play his role,” one official told The Nation.

Pakistan had tried to play a similar role between Saudi Arabia and Iran without any positive results.

The Saudi-Qatar row comes at a time when Pakistan is going through tensions with India, Iran and Afghanistan.

Pakistan recently allowed former army chief General Raheel Sharif to command a Saudi Arabia-led military alliance of 39 Muslim-majority states.

The alliance was formed by Saudi Arabia in December 2015 with its headquarters in Riyadh.

Iran had objected to the formation of the alliance fearing it was a Sunni-alliance rather than a Muslim alliance.

The government had also delayed giving approval to General Raheel Sharif – considering Iran’s objections - for several months before finally giving a nod to the former army chief.

At his weekly media briefing last week, foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that Pakistan believed in unity among Muslim-majority countries.

“We have made consistent efforts for its promotion. The situation [Saudi-Qatar tension] therefore, is a matter of concern,” he added.

Former ambassador Shahid Amin said that Pakistan needed to play a role that could bring the two countries closer rather than siding with one party.

He said that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had been great supporters of Pakistan in the past, and Pakistan could not afford to lose any one of them.

“They are all Muslims and we should not let them fight among themselves. We have a role to play and hopefully the tension will be resolved soon,” Amin said.

INP adds: Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nafees Zakaria also rejected Indian propaganda about skipping of Chinese President Xi’s meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and clarified that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with Chinese President twice at the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Earlier, Indian media propagated that Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped a customary meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana after the reported killing of two Chinese teachers in Balochistan.

Zakaria dubbed Indian propaganda baseless and clarified that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met Chinese President Xi Jinping twice at the sidelines of the SCO Summit. Matters of mutual interests, bilateral, regional and international affairs came under discussion in the meeting.

While talking about Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan will continue its support to Kashmiris in their movement for self-determination right.</s>PARIS: Qatar on Monday denounced the sanctions imposed against Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies as “unfair” and “illegal”, as Britain announced talks to try to resolve the crisis.

“Whatever relates to our foreign affairs ... no one has the right to discuss,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told reporters during a visit to Paris.

He called for “dialogue based on clear foundations” over accusations that Qatar supports extremist groups. “Qatar is willing to sit and negotiate about whatever is related to Gulf security,” he added.

In London, British foreign minister Boris Johnson said he would meet this week with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, and called for calm. “I have urged all sides to refrain from any further escalation and to engage in mediation efforts,” he said.

While praising Qatar’s restraint during the crisis, he added: “In finding a resolution, I call on Qatar to take seriously their neighbours’ concerns.” Qatar is a partner of the UK in the fight against terrorism but they urgently need to do more to address support for extremist groups, building on the steps they have already taken to tackle funding to those groups.”

Kuwaiti mediation welcomed

In Paris, Sheikh Mohammed, who is on a European tour to drum up support for Qatar, said his country had no idea what had provoked the move against it. “It’s not about Iran or Al-Jazeera,” he said, referring to the Qatar-based broadcaster. “We have no clue about the real reasons.”

But he supported moves by Kuwait to act as a mediator in the dispute “with the help of friendly countries such as the United States,” he added.

Qatar Airways calls for UN intervention

In Doha, Qatar Airways called on the UN’s aviation body to declare the Gulf boycott against the carrier “illegal” and a violation of a 1944 convention on international air transport. In televised interviews on Monday, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker called the move an “illegal blockade” and urged the United Nations’ civil aviation branch to intervene.

Qatar Airways has made Doha a global hub in just a few years, but industry analysts say banning it from Gulf states’ airspace could threaten its position as a major transcontinental carrier.

Qatar announced on Monday that it had launched direct shipping services to ports in Oman in a bid to bypass the Gulf “blockade”.

Saudi Arabia has closed the Qatari peninsula’s only land border, threatening imports of both fresh food and raw materials needed to complete a $200 billion infrastructure project for the 2022 football World Cup. Iran had announced Sunday that it had sent five planes carrying produce to Qatar. Three ships carrying 350 tonnes of food were also set to leave Iran for the emirate.</s>DUBAI - Qatar is ready to listen to the concerns of Gulf Arab states that have cut diplomatic and economic ties, Kuwait said on Sunday, as it tried to mediate a solution to the worst regional crisis in years.

Saudi Arabia and allies Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) severed ties with Qatar last week, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and arch-foe Iran - charges Doha denies. The rift has disrupted travel, separated families, severed commercial links and sown confusion among banks and businesses while deepening divisions between their respective allies fighting in wars and political struggles from Libya to Yemen.

"(Kuwait) affirms the readiness of the brothers in Qatar to understand the reality of the qualms and concerns of their brothers and to heed the noble endeavors to enhance security and stability," Kuwait's state news agency KUNA quoted Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as saying.

Kuwait, which has retained ties with Qatar and has often acted as a mediator in regional disputes, said it wanted to resolve the dispute "within the unified Gulf house".

A previous mediation effort by Kuwait in which the Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah shuttled between Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha, failed to achieve an immediate breakthrough.

"Is this the beginning of wisdom and reasonable thinking? I hope so," UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter in reaction to Kuwait saying Qatar was ready to listen to the grievances.

Morocco, a close ally of the Gulf countries, said on Sunday it would remain neutral and offered to facilitate dialogue.

"If the parties so wish, the Kingdom of Morocco is ready to offer its services to foster a frank and comprehensive dialogue on the basis of non-interference in internal affairs and the fight against religious extremism," a statement from the country's foreign ministry read.

US President Donald Trump at first offered to host Qatar and its adversaries - all US allies - at the White House, but on Friday said Qatar has been a high-level sponsor of terrorism and backed the Gulf pressure.

Saudi Arabia's powerful Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed efforts to "counter terrorism and extremism" in a telephone call with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday, state news agency SPA said.

But a Qatari diplomat said the crisis reflected a lack of US leadership.

"This is the biggest testimony to US failure in the Gulf," the diplomat told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "(It) gives others the impression the US does not know how to manage the relationship with its allies or is incapable."

On Friday Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt tightened their squeeze on Qatar by putting dozens of figures and charities they link to the country on terrorism blacklists.

Qatar's official overseer of charities denied on Sunday that philanthropic groups in the country backed terrorism, saying it deplored the accusation.

A peninsular nation of 2.5 million people, Qatar has for years punched well above its weight in world affairs by parleying its vast gas wealth into influence across the region, irking many with its maverick stances and support for Islamists.

But it was importing 80 percent of its food from bigger Gulf Arab neighbors before they cut ties and is now in talks with Iran and Turkey to secure food and water supplies.

Iran - the main regional rival of Saudi Arabia - sent four cargo planes of food to Qatar and plans to provide 100 tonnes of fruit and vegetables every day, Iranian officials said on Sunday, amid concerns of shortages.

Senior officials from the countries opposed to Qatar have warned it that appealing for foreign assistance will not advance a reconciliation.

Qatar's energy minister said on Sunday Doha remained committed to an oil output cut deal agreed by OPEC and non-OPEC producers last month.

Mohammed al-Sada said in a statement: "circumstances in the region shall not prevent the state of Qatar from honoring its international commitment of cutting its oil production".

In a sign Gulf states were seeking to lessen the human impact of their June 5 severing of ties, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE said on Sunday they had set up hotlines to help families with Qatari members, without elaborating.

The United Arab Emirates will not deport Qataris who are married to Emirati nationals, Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported on Monday, a week after severing ties with Doha and giving Qataris 14 days to leave.

In the worst Gulf Arab crisis for years, the UAE, along with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, cut diplomatic as well as travel and trade ties with Qatar, accusing their fellow Gulf state of supporting Iran and funding Islamist groups. Doha denies the charges.

Before the decision Gulf Arab citizens could easily travel, reside and work across the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The restrictions have left thousands of Qataris cut off from relatives in a region where cross-border marriages are common and Gulf rulers refer to each other as "brothers".

"Qataris married to Emiratis will not be deported," The National wrote on Monday, without giving a source for the information. "UAE airports and borders have been ordered to allow any Qatari citizens who are immediate relatives of Emiratis to pass through," it added.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report.

The move appears to be part of recent efforts to lessen the human toll of the rift. On Sunday authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they were setting up hotlines to help families with Qatari members, without elaborating.

Saudi state news agency SPA reported late on Sunday that King Salman has ordered authorities to "take into consideration humanitarian situations of Saudi-Qatari joint families," appearing to clarify the previous announcements. Bahrain issued a similar statement on its state news agency.

Saudi Arabia also said that Qataris who wanted to perform Islamic pilgrimages were also exempt from the measures and would be allowed into the Kingdom as normal.

"The pilgrims from Qatar are in the hearts of their Saudi brethren from when they enter the Kingdom until their departure," SPA said, quoting the official body in charge of Makkah and Medina.

In a statement on Friday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Gulf states to ease their measures against Qatar which he said were forcing the separation of families and causing children to be pulled out of school.

"Our expectation is that these countries will immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation and put forth a good faith effort to resolve their grievances they have with each other," he said.

Qatar said on Saturday it would not expel citizens of the countries that had cut ties with it.</s>Maersk Line is to run a feeder service from Salalah, Oman to Qatar for import and export cargo from the rest of world following a ban ships calling at Qatar by neighbouring countries.

Last week in an escalation of a diplomatic row UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut sea and air links with Qatar. The includes non-Qatar flagged or owned international vessels barring them from calling key regional hubs such as Jebel Ali in the UAE if they are also calling in Qatar, barring container lines from their usual way of serving the Qatar market.

“As promised, we are pleased to bring to you a solution for your Qatar cargo,” Maersk said in a notice to customers.

Maersk said it would serve Qatar with its own feeder from Salalah with a 10-day frequency. The first sailing from Salalah will be on 19 June arriving in Doha, Qatar on 25 June. The company said it would update customers on rates from 1 July during this week.

“Booking acceptance for cargo to/from Qatar is open for all countries except UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen in compliance with the government guidelines,” Maersk said.

Get the full story on the shipping and the Qatar crisis</s>DUBAI, June 12 (Reuters) - A United Nations aviation body should declare Gulf Arab measures against Qatari air traffic as illegal, the chief executive of Qatar Airways said in comments to CNN published on Monday, after some Arab states cut ties with Doha in a diplomatic row.

Akbar Al Baker criticised Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for closing their airspace to Qatari flights a week ago.

He appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a U.N. agency which administers the Chicago convention that guarantees civil overflights.

"We have legal channels to object to this," he said. "ICAO... should heavily get involved, put their weight behind this to declare this an illegal act."

The UAE and Bahrain have signed the 1944 convention. Saudi Arabia is not a signatory.

Baker said 18 destinations were now out of bounds for the airline.

He also criticised Saudi Arabia and the UAE for shutting down the airline's offices.

"It is actually a travesty of civilized behaviour to close airline offices. Airlines offices are not political arms," he said. "We were sealed as if it was a criminal organization. We were not allowed to give refunds to our passengers."

He added that he was "extremely disappointed" in U.S. President Donald Trump.

"(The U.S.) should be the leader trying to break this blockade and not sitting and watching what's going on and putting fuel on (the) fire," he said.

Trump last week waded into the worst Gulf Arab rift in years and praised the pressure on Qatar, which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain accuse of supporting Iran and funding Islamist groups, charges Doha denies.

In separate interview with the Wall Street Journal, Al Baker said he would not delay any plane orders or put expansion plans in other countries, such as India, on hold.

On Sunday Qatar Airways reported a 21.7 percent rise in net profit in its last financial year that ended in March, fueled by a strategy of investment and expansion. (Reporting by Sylvia Westall, editing by Louise Heavens)</s>DOHA, Qatar (AP) - The Latest on developments related to the diplomatic crisis engulfing energy-rich Qatar (all times local):

Iran's Foreign Ministry has urged the Arab nations who have cut ties to Qatar to negotiate an end to the crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron waves to the audience as he leaves a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France, after casting his vote in the first round of the two-stage legislative elections, Sunday, June 11, 2017. French voters are choosing legislators in the first round of parliamentary elections, with President Emmanuel Macron's party "Republic on the Move" hoping to win a strong majority in the National Assembly to push through bold labor and security reforms. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi tells reporters in a weekly news conference: "These countries should try to settle their differences at the negotiating table in a positive and comprehensive process."

The diplomatic crisis, the worst since the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the subsequent Gulf War, has seen Arab nations and others cut ties to Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. military base and will be the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ghasemi also says of the countries involved: "They should move toward peace and stability in the region and we invite them to negotiating and exercising restraint."

French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to boost France's diplomatic profile in the Middle East and reconcile tensions between Qatar and its neighbors over allegations Qatar funds Islamic extremists.

Macron's office says he has held a series of conversations over the past week with the emir of Qatar, the king of Saudi Arabia, the Turkish president and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is scheduled to talk Monday with his Qatari counterpart.

Macron's office says that the French leader called for a de-escalation of tensions, and stressed the importance of regional stability and joining forces to fight terrorism.

Qatar's neighbors cut ties with the country over accusations that it sponsors Islamic extremism, which Qatar denies. France has economic and military ties with Qatar and other Gulf states.

Qatar says it has begun shipping cargo through to Oman to bypass Gulf countries that have cut off sea routes to the tiny, energy rich nation.

Qatar's port authority published video Monday showing a ship arriving at Doha's Hamad Port from Oman's port of Sohar.

Typically, cargo for Qatar stops at Dubai's massive deep-water Jebel Ali port, then gets put on smaller boats heading to Doha. But since June 5, the UAE has joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in cutting off sea traffic to Qatar as part of the nations cutting diplomatic ties.

Qatar's port authority says its cargo will go through Sohar, as well as Oman's port at Salalah.

Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency has said two Iranian navy vessels will stop off in Oman soon.</s>PARIS: Qatar on Monday denounced the sanctions imposed against Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies as "unfair" and "illegal", as Britain announced talks to try to resolve the crisis.

"Whatever relates to our foreign affairs ... no one has the right to discuss," Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told reporters during a visit to Paris.

He called for "dialogue based on clear foundations" over accusations that Qatar supports extremist groups.

"Qatar is willing to sit and negotiate about whatever is related to Gulf security," he added.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which last week announced the suspension of all ties to Qatar over what they say is the state's support for extremist groups and its political proximity to Shiite Iran.

In London, British foreign minister Boris Johnson said he would meet this week with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, and called for calm.

"I have urged all sides to refrain from any further escalation and to engage in mediation efforts," he said.

While praising Qatar's restraint during the crisis, he added: "In finding a resolution, I call on Qatar to take seriously their neighbours' concerns.

"Qatar is a partner of the UK in the fight against terrorism but they urgently need to do more to address support for extremist groups, building on the steps they have already taken to tackle funding to those groups."

In Paris, Sheikh Mohammed, who is on a European tour to drum up support for Qatar, said his country had no idea what had provoked the move against it.

"It's not about Iran or Al-Jazeera," he said, referring to the Qatar-based broadcaster. "We have no clue about the real reasons."

But he supported moves by Kuwait to act as a mediator in the dispute "with the help of friendly countries such as the United States," he added.

Qatar is home to the largest US airbase in the Middle East, Al-Udeid, making it a key ally in the US-led coalition against IS in Iraq and Syria.

In Doha, Qatar Airways called on the UN's aviation body to declare the Gulf boycott against the carrier "illegal" and a violation of a 1944 convention on international air transport.

In televised interviews on Monday, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker called the move an "illegal blockade" and urged the United Nations' civil aviation branch to intervene.

Qatar Airways has made Doha a global hub in just a few years, but industry analysts say banning it from Gulf states' airspace could threaten its position as a major transcontinental carrier.

Qatar announced Monday that it had launched direct shipping services to ports in Oman in a bid to bypass the Gulf "blockade".

Saudi Arabia has closed the Qatari peninsula's only land border, threatening imports of both fresh food and raw materials needed to complete a US$200 billion infrastructure project for the 2022 football World Cup.

Iran, Saudi Arabia's main regional rival, had announced Sunday that it had sent five planes carrying produce to Qatar.

Three ships carrying 350 tonnes of food were also set to leave Iran for the emirate. — AFP</s>Natural gas built the high-rises of Qatar's capital, put the Al-Jazeera satellite news network on the air and a fleet of passengers jets for its state carrier in the sky. Now, it may be what protects Qatar as it is in the center of the worst diplomatic crisis to strike the Gulf in decades.

As the world's biggest exporter of liquid natural gas, Qatar's supplies keep homes warm in the British winter, fuel Asian markets and even power the electrical grid of the United Arab Emirates, one of the main countries that has cut ties to the energy-rich nation.

So far, its supplies have continued uninterrupted since the diplomatic dispute began last week. Natural gas markets have yet to respond to the rift and prices have remained stable. But Qatar wields a potential economic weapon if the crisis escalates and countries around the world that depend on its supply may find themselves needing to side with the tiny nation that is home to a major U.S. military installation.

"If Qatari gas exports were to be blocked, countries like Britain, Japan, South Korea and China would have an energy crisis and would have to scramble to get their energy elsewhere," said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Seattle-based research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University who has extensively studied Qatar.

"For any small country, particularly a small country in the Gulf surrounded by much larger and potentially expansionary powers, having international partnerships is a key tool of your external security," he said. "I think that may be what the Qataris are banking on right now."

Qatar, a country of 2.2 million people where citizens make up over 10 percent of the population, discovered the offshore North Field in 1971, the same year it became independent. It took years for engineers to discover the field's vast reserves, which shot Qatar to No. 3 in world rankings, behind Russia and Iran, with which it shares the North Field.

It began exporting natural gas in 1997, just after Qatari Crown Prince Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani seized power from his father, Sheikh Khalifa, in a palace coup. Sheikh Hamad used revenue from the natural gas to pursue a diplomatic path away from Saudi Arabia, long the heavyweight among Gulf countries. Qatar also secured hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, relying on that money to build stadiums and develop Doha, its capital.

But all that time, Qatar kept a wary eye on its neighbors. Though both it and Saudi Arabia practice an ultra-conservative form of Sunni Islam called Wahhabism, Qatar allows women to drive and foreigners to drink alcohol. Qatar also has clashed with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain over territory in the past.

As a hedge, Qatar hosts some 10,000 American soldiers and the forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command. Other nations also operate forces out of Qatar. Its military, numbering around 11,800 troops, is only bigger than Bahrain's.

"They really began an effort to escape the Saudi shadow and to carve out an autonomous regional and foreign policy that would be distinct," Ulrichsen said. "It took on much more of an edge in 2011 when they really backed different sides in the Arab Spring. Qatar obviously made a bet that Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood would be the group to back and clearly that over time failed to pay off."

That support sits at the heart of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE severing off diplomatic ties June 5 and cutting off Qatar from its land, sea and air routes. So far, Qatar has made a point of not retaliating against those nations.

Qatar's shipborne exports of liquid natural gas have continued to travel unhindered out of the Persian Gulf as well, though they could be a target if the crisis escalates. Qatar's biggest Asian clients are Japan, India and South Korea, according to energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. About a third of British gas supplies come from Qatar, which leads Europe.

Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Qatar Petroleum's president and CEO, said Saturday that he wanted to assure customers "of our determined efforts to continue uninterrupted supplies." A statement from the state-run firm also made a point to note that the UAE, Egypt and Jordan all rely on its natural gas.

Qatar could retaliate by shutting down the undersea Dolphin Energy pipeline, which sends about 2 billion cubic feet (56 million cubic meters) of natural gas a day into the UAE, about a third of its daily need. About 200 million cubic feet (5.66 million cubic meters) of that goes onto Oman.

Dolphin Energy, owned by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund called the Mubadala Development Co., French oil giant Total SA and Houston-based Occidental Petroleum, did not respond to a request for comment.

Without that natural gas, electricity plants in Dubai and the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi wouldn't be able to power air conditioners to beat the brutal heat of summer now descending on the desert sheikhdoms, nor run its vital desalination plants producing water. It would take time to import that gas from another source.

"If Qatar was to do anything like that, in Dubai the lights would probably go off," said Christopher Davidson, a professor of Middle East politics at Durham University in Britain. "If this were to happen, it would be such an escalation from Qatar's side, the UAE and Saudi would up the ante even more. ... If they were to do that, I think it would be no holds barred."

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz.
Dana Shell Smith announces she is resigning as United States Ambassador to Qatar amid regional tensions over Qatar's alleged support for terrorist groups.