Gulf Countries Cut List of Demands for Qatar by Half, Revoke Deadlines

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut back their demands for Qatar by half, also allowing the country to meet the requests without specific deadlines, media reported on Wednesday.

According to The Wall Street Journal newspaper, the new list includes six demands instead of 13, with such requests as to shut down the Al Jazeera broadcaster and to immediately expel all clerics with extremist Islamic ideas from the country excluded from the ultimatum. The new list also does not impose any deadlines for Doha, the media added.

"Of course we are all for compromise but there will be no compromise on these six principles," Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, told reporters, as cited by the media.

Qatari ambassador to the United Nations Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani said that the four Arab states scaled back their demands not as a sign of good faith, but in attempt to save their image amid international pressure over the initial list of demands, the newspaper added.

In June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. The four Gulf nations presented Doha a 10-day ultimatum with 13 demands, including the request to severe diplomatic relations with Iran, close Turkey’s military base in Qatar, as well as to end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia. Doha refused to comply with the demands.

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