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Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

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Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

Rex Tillerson asked the two countries to avoid crisis

Saudi Arabia and UAE were planning to attack Qatar last year after severing their ties with the tiny Arab nation which led to its blockade. However, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked the two countries not to go ahead for the operation.

According to Intercept, an online investigative news publication dedicated to “adversarial journalism,” the plot was largely devised by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman and his UAE’s counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed, involved Saudi ground troops entering Qatar, and with support from UAE army, advancing 100 kms inland and seizing Doha, the capital of the country.

According to a US intelligence official, Qatari intelligence agents inside Saudi Arabia caught wind of the plot in the summer of 2017. US and UK intelligence services confirmed about the plot several months later, the report said.

Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

Robert Malley, the CEO of the Crisis Group and former advisor on Middle East issues to former President Barack Obama, said that since the summer of 2017, Qatari officials had been telling him that their country was under the threat of invasion.

Read More: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt snap ties with Qatar

He said, “There is little doubt that senior Qatari officials with whom I spoke were convinced — or at least acted as if they were convinced — that Saudi Arabia and the UAE had been planning a military attack on their country that was halted as a result of US intervention.”

According to Qatar based Aljazeera, Saudi Arabia and UAE were stopped from launching a military operation by former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in an act that may have played a key role in his dismissal.

The investigative news website said that attack against Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, would have involved Saudi forces circumventing the Al-Udeid Air Base, which is home of the US Air Force Central Command and some 10,000 American troops, and seizing Doha.

Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

Read More: Qatar’s emir: Saudi Arabia want “regime change”

The Al-Udeid Air Base is a military base southwest of Doha, which is also known as Abu Nakhlah Airport, serves as one of the US’ most important overseas military bases and carries out operations throughout Middle East.

According to report Rex Tilerson had reportedly urged Saudi Arabia’s King Salman not to carry out the attack and also encouraged Defense Secretary James Mattis to explain the dangers of such an invasion to his counterpart in the kingdom.

According to Aljazeera, pressure from Tillerson caused Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to back down, who was concerned that invasion on Qatar would damage long term ties between Riyadh and Washington.

Read More: Trump calls Saudi Arabia to resolve Qatar crisis

However, this enraged UAE’s Crown Prince and its de facto ruler Mohammed bin Zayed who subsequently lobbied in the White House for Tillerson’s removal. One source said that the timing of Tillerson’s removal- a week before Saudi Crown Prince arrival in Washington for a much publicized visit was significant.

Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

According a report, Tillerson was frustrated with President Donald Trump for endorsing Qatar’s blockade, with his aides suspecting that a line in the president’s speech where Doha was accused of funding terrorism at a “very high level” had been written by UAE’s ambassador to US Yousef al-Otaiba, who has been reportedly in constant touch with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

On June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt suddenly announced severing ties with Qatar alleging Doha of supporting terrorist groups and creating upheavals in the regional countries. Later 13-point charter of demands was made public which included severing ties with Iran and shutting down Turkish military base and Aljazeera news network.

Qatar denied allegations and rejected Saudi-led quartet for violation of its sovereignty and national integrity.

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India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

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India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

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Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

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US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

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US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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Donald Trump

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

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