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Trump Exacerbates Tensions in Persian Gulf with Tweet About Qatar

HeadlineJun 07, 2017

President Trump has exacerbated tensions in the Persian Gulf by saying he was behind Saudi Arabia’s recent move to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. On Tuesday, Trump tweeted, “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar–look!” Qatar is a major U.S. military ally, home to two major U.S. command posts. Pentagon officials, however, are trying to show their commitment to Qatar amid the regional diplomatic crisis. On Monday, a Pentagon spokesman said, “The United States and the coalition are grateful to the Qataris for their longstanding support of our presence and their enduring commitment to regional security.” Meanwhile, there are news reports that Russia might have been behind a cyberattack two weeks ago that was used to publish a fake news article on Qatar’s state news agency website. The article, which has exacerbated tensions in the region, falsely cited Qatar’s leader making friendly statements about Iran—Saudi Arabia’s regional opponent.

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