Gulf Arab leaders have been greeting one another warmly in public appearances, keen to show that the acrimony bedevilling their relations over the last decade is in the past. But the Gulf Arab states were hardly unanimous in supporting the quartet’s dramatic move. Uneven Reconciliation Saudi Arabia had already begun to have second thoughts about continuing to ostracise Qatar. Today, all the Gulf Arab states are pursuing a dual policy of containment and engagement with Iran, with the exception of Bahrain, and have resumed full diplomatic relations with Tehran. Its first order of business was to make up with the bigger regional players – Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 12, 2023 16:17 UTC