Tillerson holds a press conference in Washington

Can the US push for dialogue on the Gulf crisis?

The US secretary of state says some of the demands on Qatar are difficult to meet.

There’s a week to go for Qatar to meet a list of 13 demands imposed on it by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

It includes shutting down the Al Jazeera network and aligning Qatar’s foreign policy with that of the Gulf Cooperation Council, among many other demands.

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Qatar has rejected the list, saying it violates its sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the United States is calling on all sides to sit down and talk.

A statement from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says while some of the measures will be very difficult for Qatar to meet, there are significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution.

So, is dialogue even possible?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Guests:

Abdulaziz Al-Horr – CEO of the Qatar Finance and Business Academy

Ahmed Al Burai – Lecturer at Istanbul Aydin University

Hillary Mann Leverett – Former White House official