Trump offers to mediate

Doha : President Donald Trump called Qatar’s emir yesterday and offered US help to resolve a damaging feud between the emirate and its Gulf neighbours.

Trump’s call to Qatari ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a key US ally, came as a senior Emirati official said that Gulf Arab states were not seeking regime change in Doha.

“The president offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary,” Trump’s office said after the call.

A Qatari official said Trump in the call had “expressed readiness to find a solution to the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, and stressed his keenness that the Gulf remains stable.”

Qatar has said it is open to talks to end the crisis but has also accused its neighbours of impinging on its sovereignty.