Diplomats from Qatar and the four states boycotting it exchanged heated words at an Arab League meeting on Tuesday. Tensions flared after Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi discussed the boycott in his opening speech despite the Gulf dispute not being on the agenda. He called the Gulf monarchy's critics "rabid dogs".
"Even the animals were not spared, you sent them out savagely," Muraikhi said, referring to the thousands of camels left stranded on the border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia after borders were closed. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, suspending air and shipping routes with the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, which is home to the region's biggest U.S. military base.
The nations say Doha supports regional foe Iran and Islamists. Qatar denies the charges and calls the economic boycott a "siege" aimed at neutering an independent foreign policy it says promotes peaceful regional reform and fighting terrorism. Kuwait has been trying to mediate in the dispute.
During his speech, Muraikhi referred to Iran as an "honourable country" and said ties had warmed with its neighbour since the blockade. In response, Ahmed al-Qattan, Saudi Arabia's envoy to the Arab League, said: "Congratulations to Iran and soon, God willing, you will regret it." The exchange descended into a row during which Muraikhi and Qattan each told the other to be quiet.
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