Trump to Gulf countries — cool your jets

Balance of Power U.S. President Donald Trump has a message for the Arab world’s feuding monarchies: It’s time to cool your jets. Trump called Qatari ruler Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday, after the buzzing of two Emirati passenger planes by Qatari fighter jets. While Qatar denies it happened, the incident prompted a whipsaw of accusations and spooked investors, who briefly dumped Qatari assets on concerns of military escalation. The president’s latest intervention, in which he praised Qatar for its efforts to fight terrorism, marks a shift from June when Trump sided with Saudi Arabia in a spat that’s now in its seventh month and threatens to spark broader conflict in the region. Complicating matters is the case of a Qatari royal who claimed on YouTube he’s being held in the U.A.E. against his will, a charge that was also denied. Saudi Arabia once courted the Sheikh and the U.A.E. media touted him as a possible replacement for Al Thani, whom they accuse of supporting terrorism in the region. For U.S. officials, enough is enough — they say the standoff is distracting from the main threat to the region: Iran. - Andrew Barden

Qatar's Emir and Trump during the UN General Assembly in September. Photographer: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP

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