A ransom payment of up to $1 billion to Iranian and al-Qaeda-linked forces in Syria may have been the tipping point for Qatari-Gulf Arab relations, APA reports quoting the Financial Times.

Qatar paid out the hefty ransom to secure the release of 26 members of a falconry party, some of whom were members of Qatar’s royal family, who had been hunting in southern Iraq, “commanders of militant groups and government officials in the region” told the Financial Times.

The news of Qatar’s ransom comes after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and a powerful military leader in Libya all severed ties with Doha on Monday.

Source: APA