Just hours after the historic embrace between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-historic-turn-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-embraces-qatar-emir-354655">Saudi</a> Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Saudi Arabia said it had reestablished full ties with Qatar.

"What happened today is... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) summit at al-Ula in Saudi Arabia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-saudi-arabia-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-in-2017-354675">Also Read:&nbsp;Why Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017</a>

Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents and a final communique as it sought to restore ties with Qatar.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had taken part in a three and a half year blockade of Qatar accusing it of siding with radical forces in the region, an allegation it vehemently denied. Qatar's closeness with Iran also angered GCC.

However on Tuesday, the Gulf leaders signed the "solidarity and stability" deal bringing Qatar back into its economic fold.

"The Al-Ula Declaration "affirms our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-senior-aide-kushner-and-team-meets-saudi-arabias-mbs-emit-of-qatar-347783">Kushner</a> attended the signing in Al-Ula signifying the influence of the US government in latest peace moves. Amid the new friendship wave, Kuwait said an agreement had been reached to open all borders between Saudi and Qatar with immediate effect.&nbsp;

GCC countries along with Egypt had blocked its airspace to Qatari planes and sealed their borders and port. Qatari citizens were also expelled from various GCC countries.

The GCC countries had put forward a list of 13 demands to Qatar to fulfil at the start of the standoff including the closure of the famous Al Jazeera television and shutting of Turkish military base, however, Qatar has not publicly bowed to any of the demands.

Just hours after the historic embrace between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Saudi Arabia said it had reestablished full ties with Qatar.

Just hours after the historic embrace between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Saudi Arabia said it had reestablished full ties with Qatar. "What happened today is... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) summit at al-Ula in Saudi Arabia. Also Read: Why Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017 Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents and a final communique as it sought to restore ties with Qatar. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had taken part in a three and a half year blockade of Qatar accusing it of siding with radical forces in the region, an allegation it vehemently denied. Qatar's closeness with Iran also angered GCC. However on Tuesday, the Gulf leaders signed the "solidarity and stability" deal bringing Qatar back into its economic fold. "The Al-Ula Declaration "affirms our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the signing in Al-Ula signifying the influence of the US government in latest peace moves. Amid the new friendship wave, Kuwait said an agreement had been reached to open all borders between Saudi and Qatar with immediate effect. GCC countries along with Egypt had blocked its airspace to Qatari planes and sealed their borders and port. Qatari citizens were also expelled from various GCC countries. The GCC countries had put forward a list of 13 demands to Qatar to fulfil at the start of the standoff including the closure of the famous Al Jazeera television and shutting of Turkish military base, however, Qatar has not publicly bowed to any of the demands.

After royal embrace, Saudi Arabia restores full ties with Qatar

The Gulf crisis which has pitted regional players against Qatar could be moving closer to resolution as the key countries prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Gulf Cooperation Council summit: Will Gulf crisis come to an end?

Iran has rejected as "unrealistic" a call by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the United Nations to extend an international arms embargo on Tehran that ends in October, state TV reported on Monday.

The GCC, made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, said on Sunday that Iran`s continued interference in neighbouring countries made an extension necessary.

The arms embargo is currently set to end on October&nbsp;18 as part of Tehran`s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which the United States quit in 2018.

"The GCC is currently at the apex of its incompetence and its unrealistic policies have rendered it ineffective," Iran`s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a televised news conference.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/irans-ayatollah-khamenei-creates-official-hindi-twitter-account-319286">Also read:&nbsp;Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei creates official Hindi Twitter account</a>

"The council, swayed by the wrong and destructive policies and behaviour of certain member states, has turned into a mouthpiece for anti-Iran elements inside and outside the region."

U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council will vote this week on a U.S. bid to extend the arms embargo on Iran, despite warnings by some diplomats that the measure lacks support.

If the United States is unsuccessful in extending the embargo, it has threatened to trigger a return of all U.N. sanctions on Iran under a process agreed in the 2015 deal.

In May, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened a "crushing response" if the embargo on Iranian trade of conventional arms was extended.

Iran has breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the 2018 U.S. withdrawal and Washington’s reimposition of sanctions.

Iran has rejected as "unrealistic" a call by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the United Nations to extend an international arms embargo on Tehran that ends in October, state TV reported on Monday.

Iran has rejected as "unrealistic" a call by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the United Nations to extend an international arms embargo on Tehran that ends in October, state TV reported on Monday. The GCC, made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, said on Sunday that Iran`s continued interference in neighbouring countries made an extension necessary. The arms embargo is currently set to end on October 18 as part of Tehran`s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which the United States quit in 2018. "The GCC is currently at the apex of its incompetence and its unrealistic policies have rendered it ineffective," Iran`s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a televised news conference. Also read: Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei creates official Hindi Twitter account "The council, swayed by the wrong and destructive policies and behaviour of certain member states, has turned into a mouthpiece for anti-Iran elements inside and outside the region." U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council will vote this week on a U.S. bid to extend the arms embargo on Iran, despite warnings by some diplomats that the measure lacks support. If the United States is unsuccessful in extending the embargo, it has threatened to trigger a return of all U.N. sanctions on Iran under a process agreed in the 2015 deal. In May, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened a "crushing response" if the embargo on Iranian trade of conventional arms was extended. Iran has breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the 2018 U.S. withdrawal and Washington’s reimposition of sanctions.

Iran says GCC call for Tehran arms embargo extension is 'unrealistic'

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) annual summit was set to open in Riyadh on Sunday, with regional unity imperilled by a bitter row with Qatar and the host, Saudi Arabia, facing a diplomatic crisis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The one-day annual gathering of leaders from the six member states is expected to focus on security issues, including the Yemen war and Iran's regional activities, and may touch on oil politics and a protracted boycott of Qatar by some of its neighbours.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-GCC member Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in June 2017 over allegations of supporting terrorism.&nbsp;

Qatar, which last week abruptly announced it was withdrawing from oil exporters group OPEC, denies the charges and says the boycott aims to curtail its sovereignty.

The Saudi king has invited Qatar`s emir to the summit, but Doha has not said what level of representation it would send. The emir attended last year`s gathering in Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain sent more junior officials.

The GCC -- set up in 1980 as a bulwark against larger neighbours Iran and Iraq -- groups Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, whose ties with Riyadh have also been strained over control of shared oilfields.

Saudi Arabia has resisted renewed US pressure to end the Qatar row after the October 2 murder of Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate drew global condemnation and exposed Riyadh`s domestic crackdown on dissent and activities in the region.

Rights group Amnesty International called on GCC states to release peaceful dissidents in the region, where governments have shown little tolerance for open dissent or criticism of rulers.

"Gulf leaders can no longer operate on the assumption that they have a carte blanche to treat their citizens like criminals whenever they express dissent without fear of any international repercussions," said Heba Morayef, Middle East Director of Campaigns.

The United States has increased pressure on Riyadh following Kashoggi's killing to end the Yemen war and mend fences with Qatar as Washington wants Gulf states to present a united front against Iran.

Qatar's exit from OPEC after 57 year to focus on gas appeared to be a swipe at the bloc's de facto leader Saudi Arabia. The move has deepened the sense among diplomats and analysts that any prospect for a near-term resolution to the dispute was unlikely at the Riyadh summit.

While the boycotting states have said the row is not a priority for them and that the GCC remained valid, Doha has said the dispute harmed regional security by weakening the bloc.

Relations have also soured between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over oil production from two jointly-run oilfields in the so-called Neutral Zone after talks in September failed to move the two countries closer to a deal.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) annual summit was set to open in Riyadh on Sunday, with regional unity imperilled by a bitter row with Qatar and the host, Saudi Arabia, facing a diplomatic crisis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) annual summit was set to open in Riyadh on Sunday, with regional unity imperilled by a bitter row with Qatar and the host, Saudi Arabia, facing a diplomatic crisis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The one-day annual gathering of leaders from the six member states is expected to focus on security issues, including the Yemen war and Iran's regional activities, and may touch on oil politics and a protracted boycott of Qatar by some of its neighbours. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-GCC member Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in June 2017 over allegations of supporting terrorism. Qatar, which last week abruptly announced it was withdrawing from oil exporters group OPEC, denies the charges and says the boycott aims to curtail its sovereignty. The Saudi king has invited Qatar`s emir to the summit, but Doha has not said what level of representation it would send. The emir attended last year`s gathering in Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain sent more junior officials. The GCC -- set up in 1980 as a bulwark against larger neighbours Iran and Iraq -- groups Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, whose ties with Riyadh have also been strained over control of shared oilfields. Saudi Arabia has resisted renewed US pressure to end the Qatar row after the October 2 murder of Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate drew global condemnation and exposed Riyadh`s domestic crackdown on dissent and activities in the region. Rights group Amnesty International called on GCC states to release peaceful dissidents in the region, where governments have shown little tolerance for open dissent or criticism of rulers. "Gulf leaders can no longer operate on the assumption that they have a carte blanche to treat their citizens like criminals whenever they express dissent without fear of any international repercussions," said Heba Morayef, Middle East Director of Campaigns. The United States has increased pressure on Riyadh following Kashoggi's killing to end the Yemen war and mend fences with Qatar as Washington wants Gulf states to present a united front against Iran. Qatar's exit from OPEC after 57 year to focus on gas appeared to be a swipe at the bloc's de facto leader Saudi Arabia. The move has deepened the sense among diplomats and analysts that any prospect for a near-term resolution to the dispute was unlikely at the Riyadh summit. While the boycotting states have said the row is not a priority for them and that the GCC remained valid, Doha has said the dispute harmed regional security by weakening the bloc. Relations have also soured between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over oil production from two jointly-run oilfields in the so-called Neutral Zone after talks in September failed to move the two countries closer to a deal.

Saudi Arabia hosts GCC summit amid Qatar tensions, Khashoggi crisis

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After royal embrace, Saudi Arabia restores full ties with Qatar

Gulf Cooperation Council summit: Will Gulf crisis come to an end?

Iran says GCC call for Tehran arms embargo extension is 'unrealistic'

Saudi Arabia hosts GCC summit amid Qatar tensions, Khashoggi crisis