Houthi militia leaders, Iran come to Qatar’s defense after severance of ties

Houthi militia leadership joined Iran in declaring their support for Qatar after several GCC states and Egypt severed ties with Doha on Monday in the latest developments of a widening rift between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors.

Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, head of the so-called Revolutionary Committee, expressed readiness to cooperate with Qatar, describing them as “loyal”.

The Arab Coalition has also announced that it has suspended Qatar’s participation in all efforts to restore the legitimate government in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Bahram Qassimi said that Tehran considered the use of sanctions as “an inefficient, blameworthy, rejected, and unacceptable move”.

EXPLAINER: Reasons why Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar

General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued a decision banning all Qatari airlines and aircraft from landing at Saudi Arabia’s airports immediately.

It has also been estimated that Qatar stands to lose 82 percent of its Gulf imports due to closing of the borders and economic sanctions. Qatar relies heavily on the Gulf countries in its trade and imports, especially with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

However, the Association of Iranian Agricultural Exporters announced that it would be ready to supply Qatar with food products and other needs.