7 points about the Qatar blockade that could trigger one of the worst rifts in Arab world

Saudi Arabia and three of its Arab allies chopping diplomatic ties with Qatar could trigger one of the worst rifts in the Arab world. The Gulf is staring at an impending economic crisis with the four countries deciding to go for a complete land and sea blockade of Qatar.

What does this rift mean to the Arab world and most importantly, does it affect India? Here's what we know.

1. Why is everyone upset with Qatar?
It's largely because of Iran. Bloomberg says the spark for this flare-up was a report by the state-run Qatar News Agency that carried comments by Qatar ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani criticizsng mounting anti-Iran sentiment. Qatari officials quickly deleted the comments, blamed them on hackers and appealed for calm. Criticism by Saudi and UAE media outlets escalated after Sheikh Tamim phoned Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the weekend in apparent defiance of Saudi criticism.

2. Where does Iran come into the picture?
Oil giant Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of backing militant groups -- some backed by Iran -- and broadcasting their ideology, an apparent reference to Qatar's influential state-owned satellite channel al Jazeera. The Shiite-led Iran is Sunni-led Saudi Arabia’s main rival. The two major oil exporters are on opposite sides of conflicts from Syria to Iraq.

3. Has Donald Trump got to do anything with this?
Well, partly. Emboldened by closer US ties under Trump, the Saudis and the UAE are seeking to crush any opposition that could weaken a united front against Iranian influence in the Middle East. The two countries are also putting pressure on Qatar to end its support for Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.

4. Is this happening for the first time?
This may end up snowballing into something bigger than in 2014, when Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain temporarily withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar. That dispute centered on Egypt, where Qatar had supported a Muslim Brotherhood government while the Saudis and UAE bankrolled its army-led overthrow. Qatar also hosts Hamas’s exiled leadership as well as Taliban officials. Analysts say Saudi and its allies want to show Qatar, a country of 2.6 million residents, that it is punching above its strategic weight.

5. How is the oil market reacting and is India covered?
Oil rose 1 per cent before paring gains after the diplomatic rift. Qatar's main stock index fell more than 7 per cent. India's Petronet LNG said it did not expect any impact on gas supplies. "I don't think there will be any impact on it. We get gas directly from Qatar by sea," R.K. Garg, head of finance at Petronet, told Reuters when asked to comment on the coordinated move to cut relations. Petronet LNG is India's biggest gas importer. It buys 8.5 million tonnes a year of LNG from Qatar under a long-term contract. It also buys additional volumes from Qatar under spot deals.

6. What about air travel now?
The Saudi coalition has canceled Qatar Airways flights to their countries. Now that's bad news for those using Doha as to hub to get to other Gulf destinations, and most passengers who do that are Indians. The other popular airline, Emirates, says it's suspending all flights to and from Doha starting Tuesday morning. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which operates four return flights to Doha daily, has also suspended flights to Qatar, saying the measure will be in place "until further notice".

7. Last and most important question: What happens to people?
The move bans citizens from Saudi, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Yemen from travelling to Qatar, living there or passing through it, according to the Saudi government. People have 14 days to leave. Qataris will have the same amount of time to get out of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.