US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives to speak in the Treaty Room of the US Department of State on June 9, 2017, in Washington, DC. AFP / PAUL J. RICHARDS
Washington: The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the blockade imposed by some Gulf countries is unacceptable, calling for de-escalation in the current Gulf crisis.
Tillerson said at a press conference that the blockade had caused "unintended" consequences, and was "hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS.
"We're seeing shortages of food in Qatar, families are being forcibly separated, and children pulled out of school - we believe these are unintended consequences, especially during this holy month of Ramadan, but they can be addressed immediately." He added that the blockade is "impairing US and other international business activities in the region. The US secretary of state has urged Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf states to ease their blockade on Qatar.
"Our expectation is that these countries will immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation," Tillerson said stressing that the US backs the efforts exerted by the Emir of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah to resolve the crisis.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the situation in the Gulf region during the past few days had "raised concern" in the United States, adding that his country called for calm and dialogue among the Gulf states.
