Araks Pashayan
vol. VII(1,2)
Pages 80-89
Abstract
On June 5, 2017, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and its allies subjected
Qatar to a series of boycotts and blockades. The initiative came from KSA,
which was concerned over Qatar’s growing ambitions to become an infl uential
state in the region. In these terms, the launch of the blockade was intended
to diminish Qatar’s political autonomy and economic independence. Qatar
never saw its tiny population and territory as a barrier to an independent foreign
policy or regional infl uence.
It should be noted that as early as in March 2014, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,
Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recalled representatives of their
countries’ diplomatic missions from Doha, as Qatar authorities had not actually
fulfi lled their set-forth demands.1 At that time Qatar was accused of
supporting the Muslim Brotherhood2 through the Middle East and North
Africa and beyond, as well as establishing dangerous cooperation with Turkey
and Iran. The causes of the crisis are directly related also to the coming
to power new, young, and ambitious leaders in KSA, Qatar, and UAE who
have become the very architects of drawing new milestones of foreign policy
for their countries. Saudi Arabia and its allies after the turmoil of the Arab
Spring, pushed for Qatar to accept its subordinate status.
Keywords: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran, boycott, blockade, crisis, Muslim
Brotherhood, Arab Spring
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