US president calls on Doha to stop funding terrorism

The White House has sent indistinct signals on whether to isolate Qatar or bring it into talks with other Gulf nations.

US President Donald Trump accused the small peninsula of funding terrorism "at a very high level," but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he expects all parties to find a resolution to ease the blockade against Qatar, calling for "calm and thoughtful dialogue".

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties and cut land, sea and air traffic with Qatar over allegations Doha is destabilizing the region and supporting terrorist groups.

Trump said solving the current diplomatic issue among Gulf states could be the "beginning of the end of terrorism," and noted that the US needs to make a decision on which policy the administration is going to take to stop the funding of terrorism.

The tug-of-war in the region intensified on Friday. Arab states put dozens of figures related to Qatar on a terrorist blacklist, while Turkey rushed to Doha's side with plans to send in more troops.

(CGTN)