Eritrea sides with Saudi and allies over row with Qatar

While calling on Qatar and the Gulf nations to ease tensions, the United Nations said it is working to resolve the crises.

Pakistan, which has close ties with the kingdom but also business ventures in Qatar, has stayed out of the dispute.

Qatar's finance minister said on Monday the world's richest country per capita has the resources to endure and played down the economic toll of the confrontation.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain last week cut diplomatic ties with Qatar over alleged accusations that Doha was supporting worldwide Islamist extremists who are threats to the region's peace and security.

Earlier Doha's 1 million population and their dairy needs were facilitated by Saudi Arabia but after the split, the transport routes were cut off by UAE and their two other allies.

Saudi Arabia has closed the Qatari peninsula's only land border, threatening imports of both fresh food and raw materials needed to complete a $200 billion infrastructure project for the 2022 football World Cup.

The Foreign Secretary also said Qatar must take seriously the concerns of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain and "urgently" do more to address support for extremists.

Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi tells reporters in a weekly news conference: "These countries should try to settle their differences at the negotiating table in a positive and comprehensive process".

Ghasemi also says of the countries involved: "They should move toward peace and stability in the region and we invite them to negotiating and exercising restraint".

Macron's office says that the French leader called for a de-escalation of tensions, and stressed the importance of regional stability and joining forces to fight terrorism.

Qatar announced Monday that it had launched direct shipping services to ports in Oman in a bid to bypass the Gulf "blockade".

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain issued identical statements on the air embargo, which came into effect when Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama broke off relations with Qatar on June 5.