Updated July 07, 2017 13:31:33

Photo: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make the journey on Monday in an attempt to resolve the impasse. (AP: Carlos Barria/Pool photo)

United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Kuwait next week to seek a resolution to the ongoing impasse over Qatar.

Arab nations involved in the boycott of the tiny Gulf state say its refusal of their demands is proof of its links to terrorist groups, and they are planning political, economic and legal steps.

Qatar denies sponsoring terrorism and refused the list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, including shutting down its TV network Al Jazeera and curbing ties with Iran.

Mr Tillerson will meet with Kuwaiti officials who have been trying to mediate between the disputing nations.

The US is increasingly concerned the dispute is at an impasse and could drag on for a long time or intensify.

Underscoring US concerns about a crisis involving key allies in the Middle East, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis discussed the importance of easing tensions in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid al-Attiyah.

"We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

"We've become increasingly concerned that [the] dispute is at an impasse at this point.

"We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks. It could drag on for months. It could possibly even intensify."

Qatar has been accused of sponsoring terrorist organisations, but it strongly denies that. It's all playing out against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia's rivalry with Qatar for influence.

Mr Mattis discussed the state of relations among Gulf Arab states and "the importance of de-escalating tensions" in his call with Mr Attiyah, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The two officials "affirmed the strategic security partnership" of their countries and Mr Mattis emphasised the importance of Qatar's contributions to the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State, it added.

Qatar hosts the largest US Air Force base in the region.

The rift opened days after US President Donald Trump met Arab leaders in Riyadh in May and called for unity against Iran and hardline Islamist militant groups.

Mr Trump discussed the crisis in phone calls with leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, on Sunday, reiterating the importance of "stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology," according to the White House.

Reuters

Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, united-states, saudi-arabia, qatar

First posted July 07, 2017 11:24:07