DUBAI- REUTERS, 7 JUN 2017- More moves against Qatar, including further curbs on business, remain on the table in a row with Arab neighbors, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Wednesday, warning against allowing its Gulf adversary Iran to exploit the unprecedented rift.
In a Reuters interview, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said it would be very complex to disentangle the “very diverse” business ties between Qatar and its neighbors but suggested this might be necessary.

“You cannot rule out further measures,” he said.

“We hope that cooler heads will prevail, that wiser heads will prevail and we will not get to that,” he said.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain severed diplomatic relations with Qatar in a coordinated move on Monday, accusing it of support for Islamist militants and Iran. Qatar strongly denies supporting terrorism, and on Tuesday called for talks to settle the dispute.

IRAN’S ROLE

“What we are hoping is that our action will send some sense into the decision-makers in Qatar when they will see their overall interest is in not undermining their neighbors.”
Asked if he worried that Qatar was being pushed into the arms of Shi’ite Muslim power Iran, Gargash suggested Tehran was seeking to exploit the row to widen Gulf Arab divisions.
Qataris were part and parcel of Gulf Arab society “and I think the issue is Iran would like to take advantage of this”.
“It would be very unwise for Qatar to allow Iran to play a larger role through escalation, I would rather see the Qataris deal with this issue through rationality and wisdom.”