UAE's Gargash says alternative to Qatar demands is 'not escalation but parting ways'

A senior United Arab Emirates (UAE) official said on Saturday that if Qatar did not accept an ultimatum issued by Arab states which imposed a boycott on the small Gulf Arab nation this month, "the alternative is not escalation but parting ways".

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told reporters that diplomacy, however, was still a priority.

The demands from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE, which Doha has said are not reasonable or actionable, include closing Al Jazeera television network, curbing ties with Iran, shutting a Turkish base and paying reparations.