Proof of Qatar’s links to terror groups is perpetuated by Doha’s refusal of their demands to resolve a Gulf diplomatic crisis, said the four Arab states leading the boycott against Qatar said late on Thursday. The countries said that they would enact new measures against it.

Saying that their initial list of 13 demands was now void and pledging new political, economic and legal steps against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain released a joint statement carried by the countries’ state media.

The refusal by the Qatari government affirmed its continuing sabotage of the region’s stability and security and the Qatari government sabotaged diplomatic efforts to solve the rift, the four states said.

Without elaborating on when the new steps would be announced or what they would entail, they said that any measures taken by the four states would be aimed at the Qatari government but not its people.

After the expiry of a 10-day deadline for their demands to be met, foreign ministers from the four states convened in Cairo the day before. “Negative” and lacking in content was how they described the tiny Gulf nation’s response.

Accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran, the countries have cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar since last month. Doha denies the charges.

Downgrading its ties with Iran, closing a Turkish military base in Doha, shutting down the pan-Arab al Jazeera TV channel and curtailing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood were among their demands that were essentially orders for Qatar.

Meanwhile, the US has expressed concern about the Arab dispute with Qatar and said that it could may intensify.

The U.S. State Department said that this dispute could drag on for a long time or intensify.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis discussed the importance of easing tensions in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid al-Attiyah which underscored the U.S. concerns about a crisis involving key allies in the Middle East. Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, is being planned to be visited on Monday by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Launching a drive to boycott the gas-producing state, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain broke diplomatic relations with Qatar last month.

Qatar has accused the countries of “clear aggression” and it denies the charges.

“We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

“We’ve become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point. We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks. It could drag on for months. It could possibly even intensify,” she said.

The Pentagon said in a statement that in his call with Attiyah, Mattis discussed the state of relations among Gulf Arab states and “the importance of de-escalating tensions”.

It added that Mattis emphasized the importance of Qatar’s contributions to the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State and the two officials “affirmed the strategic security partnership” of their countries.

The largest U.S. Air Force base in the region is in Qatar.

(Adapted from CNBC)

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