Bahrain says all options are on the table to deal with Qatar as tensions mount

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Bahrain's foreign minister said he appreciated Kuwaiti mediation to resolve an Arab row with Qatar, the Saudi newspaper Mecca reported on Wednesday, but that all options were open for his country to protect itself from Doha.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries cut their ties with Doha on Monday, accusing it of supporting militants and their arch-foe Iran - charges Qatar says are baseless.

Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, traveled from the UAE to Qatar on Wednesday after visiting Saudi Arabia the day before to resolve the crisis.

But in some of the strongest comments related to those efforts by a senior Gulf Arab official, Bahrain's Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa reportedly told the newspaper that it doubted whether Qatar would change its behavior.

"The emir of Kuwait is a messenger of good, but the policies of Qatar have not granted his endeavors success," Mecca reported Sheikh Khaled as saying on its official Twitter page.

"We will not hesitate to protect our interests and the road is open to any options to protect ourselves from Qatar."

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