GCC and other regional groupings: G20 events; US diplomacy

US diplomacy: The United States has been making a fresh push to persuade its Gulf allies to resolve the standoff between Qatar on the one hand and Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia on the other. Special Envoy for Iran Brian Hook said in late July during a visit to Qatar that “the dispute has continued for too long and it ultimately harms our shared regional interests in stability, prosperity and security. Bringing an end to this dispute really will advance the collective interests of all the parties to this conflict.”