Dubai: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Yemen, Maldives and Mauritius severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
The co-ordinated move dramatically escalates a dispute over Qatar's support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world's oldest Islamist movement, and adds accusations that Doha even backs the agenda of regional arch-rival Iran.
Announcing the closure of transport ties with Qatar, the three Gulf states gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their countries. Qatar was also expelled from a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of backing militant groups and broadcasting their ideology.
"(Qatar) embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS (Islamic State) and Al Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly," SPA said.
The statement accused Qatar of supporting what it described as Iranian-backed militants in its Eastern region of Qatif and in Bahrain.
The measures are more severe than during a previous eight-month rift in 2014, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE withdrew their ambassadors from Doha, again alleging Qatari support for militant groups. At that time, travel links were maintained and Qataris were not expelled.
Yemen's internationally recognised government cut ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of working with its enemies in the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, state news agency Saba reported.
"Qatar's practices of dealing with the (Houthi) coup militas and supporting extremist groups became clear," the government said in a statement.
It added that Yemen supported a decision by a Saudi-led coalition fighting for more than two years to oust the Houthis from the capital Sanaa to remove Qatar from its ranks announced earlier on Monday.
Libya's eastern-based government has followed regional allies in cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar, its foreign minister, Mohamed Dayri, said on Monday.
The diplomatic broadside threatens the international prestige of Qatar, which hosts a large US military base and is set to host the 2022 World Cup. It has for years presented itself as a mediator and power broker for the region's many disputes.
The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar.
“The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism,” the government of the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement.
The government of Mauritius has decided pending further developments not to entertain any further relations with Qatar.
The Mauritian government is fully committed to supporting the actions of Saudi Arabia and other countries in their efforts to eradicate threats against international peace and security, a statement issued by the office of the Vice Prime Minister said.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Sydney on Monday that the spat would not affect the fight against Islamist militants and that Washington has encouraged its Gulf allies to resolve their differences.
The announcements come 10 days after President Donald Trump visited Riyadh to call on Muslim countries to stand united against Islamists extremists, and singling out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups.
Muslim Brotherhood parties allied to Doha are now mostly on the backfoot in the region, especially after a 2013 military takeover in Egypt ousted the elected Islamist president.
The former army chief and now president, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, along with the new government's allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, blacklist the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation.
Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, said on its state news agency that Qatar's policy "threatens Arab national security and sows the seeds of strife and division within Arab societies according to a deliberate plan aimed at the unity and interests of the Arab nation."
Oil prices rose after the moves against Qatar.
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