Qatar shunned, and US complicates peace talks

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced they had severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed sanctions on the country, alleging that Qatar was "supporting terrorism" and "undermining regional security".

Qatar strongly denied the charges, rejected conditions the countries set out for resuming diplomatic ties, including cutting off ties with Iran.

Wars in Syria and Yemen continued and efforts to find a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were further complicated when the US announced in December that it would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.