Diplomatic Crisis Hits the Gulf States

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The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, and Libya have all severed ties with Qatar in what's being described as the worst diplomatic crisis to hit Gulf Arab states in decades.

The nations have accused Qatar of destabilizing the region by supporting terrorism. Qatar, which shares its only land border with Saudi Arabia, has rejected the claims, calling them "unjustified" and "baseless."

Marc Lynch, director of the project on Middle East Political Science at George Washington University and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment Middle East Center, explains.