Saudi shuts Al-Jazeera office in Qatar row: ministry

Qatar hosts the largest U.S. airbase in the region, which is crucial to operations against Islamic State group jihadists, and is set to host the 2022 football World Cup. Saudi Arabia's state news agency quoted an official source as saying that the move was to protect national security "from the dangers of terrorism and extremism". Its Gulf Arab neighbors responded by blocking Qatari-based media, including Al-Jazeera.

Bahrain, the only Shia-majority Gulf nation ruled by Sunnis, said it was cutting ties because Qatar was "shaking the security and stability of Bahrain and meddling in its affairs". "Travellers bound for Doha who are boarding their flight from airports around the Emirates network today will be advised to make alternative arrangements", an Emirates spokesperson said.

The countries all ordered their citizens out of Qatar and gave Qataris overseas 14 days to return home to their peninsular nation, whose only land border is with Saudi Arabia. According to the Qatar Stock Exchange website, the stock market indicator fell sharply from 9,923 to 9,400, followed by a continued decline to around 9,100 points. "This by itself is a violation of its (Qatar's) sovereignty as a state", Qatar added.

The statement accused Qatar of supporting what it described as Iranian-backed militants in its restive and largely Shiite Muslim-populated eastern Saudi Arabian region of Qatif, and also in Bahrain. "Although we trust our brothers from among the Qatari people, (we) had to take these measures as precautions against any hostile attempts or activities", Bahrain said in a statement published by the Bahrain News Agency.

"Qatar has been exposed to an instigation campaign based on allegations that amounted to absolute fabrications, which proves that there are premeditated intentions to cause damage to the state".

Premier UAE airlines Etihad and Emirates announced they would suspend flights to Qatar, as did budget carriers Air Arabia and FlyDubai.

A Saudi official cited by SPA said the country made a decision to "sever diplomatic and consular ties with Qatar, and to close all land, sea and aviation ports".

Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition of nations fighting in support of Yemen's government, also said Qatar's forces would be withdrawn from that fight. The fate of the Council remains in the balance now although it is quite clear that it can no longer be viewed as an influential one with the majority of the countries not being willing to have any relations with Qatar.

And Qatar's food supply is now in jeopardy. Eight months later, they returned their ambassadors as Qatar forced some Brotherhood members to leave the country and quieted others.

Aziz says the new coordinated effort was likely spurred by Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia as his first foreign trip.

It further accused the nations involved of seeking to impose "guardianship" over Qatar.

Qatar denies funding extremist groups.

"Neighbours are permanent; geography can t be changed".