THE king of Saudi Arabia has threatened war after an unruly regional rival pressed ahead with plans to install a Russian missile defense system.
THREAT: Saudi King Salman (left) and Qatari foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
Qatar was cut off by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE last year over claims it was funding terrorism.
The mini Gulf state is now in talks to buy the Russian S-400 missile air defence system to stave off potential threats.
But in a letter to French president Emmanuel Macron, Saudi King Salman warned his regime would consider all options – including military action.
Despite such threats, the Qatari foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Al Jazeera his government was not worried.
He said: “We are seeking formal confirmation from the French government about the letter.
“There is no serious military threat out of this, but the way it is being used to justify or to create a disturbance in the region is just unacceptable.
“There is no legitimate grievance behind this letter and threatening Qatar.
“Qatar made all the options open for its defence procurement, so we are seeking the best quality to defend our country and we have all the options open for this.”
The Qatari government denies all claims it has sponsored terrorism and has denounced the Saudi’s actions as “reckless behaviour”.
The US has allies in both countries and fears increasing tensions could play into the hands of regional power Iran.
Qatar hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, home to more than 11,000 US and coalition forces.
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