Urging Gulf states to heal rift, U.S.'s Pompeo lands in Riyadh

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (not pictured) at the Sheraton Grand in Doha, Qatar January 13, 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via Reuters

DOHA/RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that a rift between Qatar and its Gulf Arab neighbours had gone on for too long and was threatening regional unity needed to counter Iran.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and their regional foe Shi'ite Muslim Iran - something Doha denies.