Here are three interesting pieces about the recent crisis in the Gulf, which I like to share with you. 

First: Bilal Saab, Foreign Affairs

 “The dispute between GCC members had been simmering for a while, and it was only a matter of time before it boiled over. In December, during a GCC Summit in Kuwait, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi had been close to singling out Qatar for its alleged financing of terrorism in Syria and elsewhere. But, at the last minute, the Saudis pulled the plug to avoid embarrassing their Kuwaiti hosts. They opted instead to give Doha a stern private warning. A couple of weeks before that, Saudi leaders scolded new Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim during a meeting in Riyadh that was arranged by Kuwaiti leader Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad.” 

Second by Michael Young, NOW.

“That sense of renewed confidence, coupled with recognition that the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program will be arduous, may have prompted the diplomatic isolation of Qatar. With a new emir in Doha, the Saudis are flexing their muscles to push their own preferences in the region. Only time will tell whether the Qataris comply.”

Third by Abdulmajeed al-Buluwi, Al-Monitor

“It is illogical to think Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE can remain part of the same security organization when they have such divergent views about where their common danger lie. “