Washington - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday urged Gulf states to ease their blockade of Qatar, saying it has "humanitarian consequences" and hinders the United States' military efforts. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties and transportation links with Qatar on Monday. The nations have long criticized Qatar's support for terrorist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and what is called 'the Islamic State' (IS, aka ISIS). The U.S. expects the countries to "immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation and put forth a good faith effort to resolve the grievances they have with each other," Tillerson told reporters at the State Department. Tillerson said that blockade against Qatar is having humanitarian consequences, hurting U.S. business activity and fight against (terrorist group) Islamic State (IS).
