Ending #Qatar Blockade Should Be Priority for Donald Trump - Bloomberg

Ending Qatar Blockade Should Be Priority for Donald Trump - Bloomberg:

It’s now nearly two years since a coalition of Arab countries imposed a misguided economic blockade on Qatar. The group — Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — said it was punishing the gas-rich emirate for its ties with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, but the embargo is widely perceived as part of a larger competition for preeminence in Arab affairs.

Ending it should be a priority for U.S. President Donald Trump. Of the Arab world’s many divisions, sectarian and political, none is more damaging to American interests than this one. The Saudi-led group’s objectives haven’t been met. On the contrary, denied food supplies from — and air routes over — the blockading states, Qatar has only grown more dependent on Iran, while its economy has weathered the blockade with ease.

Meanwhile, the dispute is putting U.S. allies Kuwait and Oman in an awkward position. Both countries have strong relationships with Qatar and maintain wary ties with Iran, which is close enough to menace their security. But neither can afford to antagonize Saudi Arabia, the region’s most powerful nation.