Isolating Qatar

In June 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates together imposed a sweeping boycott on Qatar. They cut diplomatic relations, banned trade, closed their airspace to Qatari traffic, and ordered Qatari nationals out of all four countries. For a small Gulf state, the situation looked like it could become a catastrophe.

Qatar did not collapse. Relying on its considerable wealth and a substantial store of soft power, its government managed to blunt most of the damage from what came to be called the Rift. Edward Lynch follows the crisis from beginning to end, tracing its historical and contemporary roots, the responses it provoked across the region and around the world, and the unexpected way it was resolved.

The book also draws attention to the role small states often play in international relations, a role that is frequently overlooked. It serves as an account of the Gulf Rift and a guide to how the dispute may shape the region in the years ahead.