“Many of the on-going conflicts across the region, such as Syria, can be seen as proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran.”
President Donald Trump has cited the recent breakdown in relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates as proof of his success in cracking down on Islamic terrorism and has hailed it a success following his Middle East tour. All four countries have cited Qatar’s alleged support of terrorism while cutting diplomatic relations and ordering Qatari citizens to leave their countries.
Two of Trump’s recent tweets point to strong support for Saudi Arabia and its allies:
So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017
…extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017
However, the politics surrounding the surprising and forceful isolation of Qatar are complex. Regime funding of terrorism across the region is also difficult to unpack, as Saudi Arabia and others have been accused of funding and supporting extremists as well. Many Sunni terrorists have been born in or have ties to Saudi Arabia, including 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers, who held Saudi Arabian passports.
While Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE claim that the cut in relations is due to Qatar supporting terrorism, many experts are doubting these claims. These critics instead believe that Iranian influence, the frequently critical al-Jazeera newspaper, and other regional geopolitical issues are the primary motivating factors.
Out of the Sunni-dominated Arabian Peninsula nations, Qatar is perhaps the warmest in relations with Iran. The two countries share a massive natural gas reserve in the Persian Gulf, and have cooperated on various issues over the years. After Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won reelection, the Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani called Rouhani to offer congratulations. State media organizations also stated that Iran is a “a regional and Islamic power that cannot be ignored,” drawing ire from across the region.
While these gestures might seem innocuous, Iran and Saudi Arabia are de facto arch nemeses. Many of the on-going conflicts across the region, such as Syria, can be seen as proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Even the simple phone call from the Emir of Qatar to President Rouhani was seen as a major affront to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to isolate Iran and curb its influence in the region.
Qatar is also a major financier of the Palestinians in Gaza, who are under the control of Hamas, an Iranian linked group that the United States considers to be a terrorist organization. Before the mass crackdowns in Egypt, Qatar was also a major backer of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Numerous other Gulf countries and wealthy individuals from Gulf countries, however, have also been accused of supporting terrorists. Many believe that Saudi Arabia is a major supporter of Sunni extremism. Saudi Arabia’s conservative Wahhabism ideology, meanwhile, shares a lot with the extremist ideologies held by the Islamic State and similar groups. Additionally, Saudi Arabia cited support for the Islamic State, and Western officials have accused the country of funding al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front.
Qatar is also home to the al-Udeid Air Base, which houses the US military’s Central Command, as well as 10,000 American troops.
It’s clear that there is much more going on here than Trump’s tweets suggest, and the decision to isolate Qatar is about more than their support of extremism.
