Saudi Arabia, allies give Qatar two more days to accept demands

• Qatar says Arab states' demands 'made to be rejected', says open to talks
• Iran's Rouhani backs Qatar, rejects 'siege'
• UAE Urges West to Establish Monitoring Over Qatar's Alleged Terror Support
• Saudi and Bahrain welcome Trump's scolding of Qatar

Qatar has called the charges baseless and says the demands - including closing Qatar-based al Jazeera TV and ejecting Turkish troops based there - are so severe that they seem intended to be rejected.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have raised the possibility of further sanctions against Qatar if it does not comply with the 13 demands presented to Doha through Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator.

A man uses a rod to fish during sunset on the corniche in Doha, Qatar, June 15, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon

According to a joint statement on Saudi state news agency SPA, the four countries agreed to a request by Kuwait to extend by 48 hours Sunday's deadline for compliance.

They have not specified what further sanctions they could impose on Doha, but commercial bankers in the region believe that Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini banks might receive official guidance to pull deposits and interbank loans from Qatar.

Foreign ministers from the four countries will meet in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss Qatar, Egypt said, while Arab media reported that Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani arrived in Kuwait on Monday to deliver Doha's formal response to the Arab demands.

The four states cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism, meddling in their internal affairs and advancing the agenda of regional foe Iran, all of which Qatar denies. Mediation efforts, including by the U.S., have been fruitless.

Trump spoke separately to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in the UAE to discuss his "concerns about the ongoing dispute", the White House said.

"He reiterated the importance of stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology. The president also underscored that unity in the region is critical to accomplishing the Riyadh Summit's goals of defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability," the White House said.

"President Trump, nevertheless, believes that the overriding objective of his initiative is the cessation of funding for terrorism," it said.