Qatar threatens to fire on any Gulf ship in its waters

CAIRO – 8 June 2017: Qatar has threatened to fire on any naval ships from the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Bahrain that enter its waters, according to a U.S. source.

The Qatari Ministry of Defense transmitted its warning the governments in question on Monday, the same day those countries and Egypt severed diplomatic ties, CNN reported the unnamed source as saying.

In the wake of the diplomatic split Qatari put its military on its highest alert, fearing Saudi Arabia and others may attempt to take military action, and brought up 16 Leopard tanks out of storage in Doha, CNN said Wednesday.

The official, and others, have said the situation in Qatar has not affected U.S. military operations in the tiny Gulf state.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar Monday over its “continuous support for terrorism." The four Arab countries withdrew their diplomatic missions from Qatar and closed their airspace and seaports to Qatari transportation.

Tensions between Qatar and the other Arab Gulf states strained after Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani directed a message to the same four Arab countries that “being hostile to Iran is unwise.”