Pompeo To Push For End To Gulf Dispute During Qatar Visit

Doha, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2019 ) :US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Qatar on Sunday pushing for an end to a diplomatic rift between Washington's Gulf allies on the latest leg of his middle East tour.

The top US diplomat's visit to the small, energy-rich Gulf state comes amid a more than 18-month-old dispute pitting Riyadh and its allies against Doha.

"It is time for old rivalries to end for the sake of the greater good of the region," Pompeo said on Thursday in Cairo, where he laid out the Middle East strategy of US President Donald Trump's adminstration.

The secretary of state travelled to Doha from Abu Dhabi, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed on Saturday.

Pompeo is later expected to head to Riyadh, where all eyes will be on a possible meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The visit comes just three months after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country's Istanbul consulate.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt -- all US allies -- cut ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups and seeking closer ties to Saudi arch-rival Iran.

Qatar -- also a US ally -- denies the allegations and accuses the countries of seeking regime change.

Washington, which at first appeared to back the boycott, has so far been unsuccessful in trying to get the countries to set aside their differences in order to focus on Washington's regional priority -- the fight against Iran.