Qatar has slammed the decision of five nations, including United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Egypt's, to sever diplomatic ties with the country, calling it "unjustified." The nation on Monday said the move is a campaign of lies and fabrications aimed at putting the Gulf Arab state under political "guardianship."
The UAE, Yemen and Egypt announced that they will be joining Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and will be withdrawing their diplomatic staff from Qatar. The nations on Monday said that their decision was based over the claims that Qatar supported Islamist groups and associated with terrorism.
Qatar has presented itself as a mediator and a power broker for the region's disputes, however, the diplomatic broadside threatens to malign the nation's international prestige. The middle-east nation is also set to host the 2022 Football World Cup.
Latest reports state that Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, FlyDubai and Saudi Arabian Airlines have suspended all flights to Qatar, after the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they would cut all land, air, and sea connections with the nation within 24 hours.
The Qatari foreign ministry released a statement on Monday stating that the measure taken by the neighbouring countries is unjustified.
"The measures are unjustified and are based on false and baseless claims," the foreign ministry said. "The aim is clear, and it is to impose guardianship on the state. This by itself is a violation of its (Qatar's) sovereignty as a state," it added.
Qatar Airways, one of the region's major long-haul carriers, also suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia on Monday.
After severing ties with Qatar, Saudi Arabia had urged "all brotherly countries and companies to do the same," according to the Guardian's reports. Qatar's participation in Saudi Arabia's joint military operation in Yemen has also been cancelled after the Saudi-led coalition alleged that Doha supported Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
