Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar

Doha, Qatar.
(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates are breaking off diplomatic ties with Qatar, with Saudi Arabia accusing Qatar of backing "terrorist groups aiming to destabilize the region," Bloomberg reports, including the Muslim Brotherhood, al Qaeda, and the Islamic State.

Saudi Arabia also believes Qatar is supporting "Iranian-backed terrorist groups" that are active in east Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The countries are halting air and sea travel to and from Qatar, with Saudi Arabia also closing down land crossings. Qatari diplomats now have 48 hours to leave the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.