Bahrain Mirror: Qatar expressed its regret over the statements made by the four "siege countries" and said it contains "false accusations". Qatar said in a statement on Friday (July 7, 2017) that "statement of siege countries has false accusations and defamation against the stable foundations of relations between nations".

It added that claims contained in the siege countries statement on the interference of the State of Qatar in the internal affairs of countries and the financing of terrorism are baseless allegations, indicating that Qatar's position on terrorism is consistent and known to reject and condemn it in all its forms.

The statement further read "Qatar is an active in the fight against terrorism and its financing at the regional and international levels with the testimony of the international community".

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain released a joint statement carried by the countries' state media saying their initial list of 13 demands was now void and pledging new political, economic and legal steps against Qatar.

The Qatari government sabotaged diplomatic efforts to solve the rift, the four states said, and its refusal affirmed its continuing sabotage of the region's stability and security.

Any measures taken by the four states would be aimed at the Qatari government but not its people, they said, without elaborating on when the new steps would be announced or what they would entail.

Foreign ministers from the four states convened in Cairo the day before after the expiry of a 10-day deadline for their demands to be met. They condemned Doha's response as "negative" and lacking in content.

Since last month, the countries have cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran. Doha denies the charges.

Among their demands were orders for Qatar to curtail its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shut down the pan-Arab al Jazeera TV channel, close a Turkish military base in Doha and downgrade its ties with Iran.

Arabic Version