Confrontation between Qatar and Saudi Arabia is creating unease among Syrian rebels who expect the crisis between two of their biggest state backers to deepen divisions in the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

Iraq's Iran-backed Shi'ite paramilitary force said on Sunday it had dislodged Islamic State from a number of villages west of Mosul, scoring further progress toward the border with Syria.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain strongly condemned the statements made by the Ambassador of Syria to the Republic of Lebanon, which constitute an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain. The ministry considered that “these statements reflect a clear contradiction to the realities in the Kingdom which supports and guarantees all freedoms and rights and is a model of coexistence and tolerance among all”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain supported the military operations conducted by the United States of America against a military airport in Syria, considering it “a needed step to stop the bloodshed and prevent the proliferation or use of any banned weapons against innocent civilians”.

The rich Arab monarchies of the Gulf have been conspicuously absent from the chorus of international condemnation of the U.S. ban on travel from seven mainly Muslim countries, hoping for warmer ties with Donald Trump than with his predecessor.

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa met (January 31, 2017), in Abu Dhabi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed with him solid relations binding the two friendly countries and cooperation in all fields.

Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to take part in the Syrian peace process, Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan told Russia's state-backed RT TV station in an interview, according to the RIA news agency on Tuesday.

Professor at the government-own University of Qatar said that the killer of Russian Ambassador in Turkey is a “martyr”.

French daily “Le Monde” published a new letter by prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab, in which he asked Europeans to reconsider their relations with the Gulf countries.

Member of the Qatari Al-Jazeera New Network said that killing the Russian Ambassador in Turkey Andrey Karlov in a shooting inside an art gallery in Ankara is a “humane reflex”.

The official Qatari News Agency (QNA) said that Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani directed to cancel the National Day celebrations to express solidarity with Aleppo.

The 37th GCC summit kicked off in Manama on Tuesday (December 6, 2016), stressing on finding solutions for the Yemeni and Syrian crises.

Bahrain scored among the lowest ranks in the annual report issued by Freedom House organization, after putting the country under the “Not Free” category on the level of freedom of press, and freedom of the internet.

Special advisor to the speaker of parliament for international affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed that his country refuses all the military solutions for the crises in the region, including Syria, Yemen and Bahrain.

The National Iraqi Alliance chief, Sayed Ammar Al-Hakim slammed the major countries and international organizations for their silence towards what is happening in both Yemen and Bahrain.

The collapse of the latest Syria ceasefire has heightened the possibility that Gulf states might arm Syrian rebels with shoulder-fired missiles to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian warplanes, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Bahrain was ranked 132 on the 2016 Global Peace Index (GPI) report issued by the Institute for Economic and Peace (IEP) on Wednesday (September 21, 2016).

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir met with US counterpart John Kerry and Bahraini FM Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa in Jeddah

Former Iranian Deputy FM Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed ruling Al Khalifa regime is like puppet in Riyadh's hands.

President Barack Obama and the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia on Friday discussed ways to support...