Why the Breach Between Saudis and Qataris Goes On and On

When Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties and transportation links with Qatar in June 2017, there were expectations that the rulers would resolve the spat quietly among themselves, as they did a similar dispute three years earlier. Instead, the group issued tough demands, Qatar refused to bend, and the breach hardened. Qatar even quit OPEC at the start of 2019 in a rare rupture of the Saudi-dominated oil cartel. In late 2019, there were signs the squabbli