Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah

:: Kuwait, the main mediator in a political crisis between Qatar and the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ), warned on Tuesday that the dispute could escalate.

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, in an address to Parliament, also said that Kuwait’s goal is to save the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) union from “cracking and collapsing.”

On June 5, the ATQ — comprising Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE — severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremist groups and having too close ties to Iran.

“Everyone should know that Kuwait’s mediation is based on a keen awareness that this crisis risks escalation,” the emir said.

The crisis leaves Gulf states vulnerable to foreign interference, he warned.

“An escalation would be an explicit invitation for regional and international intervention, which would have serious consequences for the security of the Gulf nations and their people,” the emir said.