It shouldn’t surprise us that the diplomatic and economic blockade of Qatar tops international coverage of Omm El Donia again this morning. Most of it is a rehashing of what we noted yesterday. The siege on Qatar will have the opposite effect, driving it further in the arms of Iran, writes Ladane Nasseri for Bloomberg. Iran has been putting on its “neighborly” face with Qatar during the crisis, with its state-run Airports & Air Fleet Co. of Iran having made preparations to receive an additional 100 to 150 flights daily from Qatar. David Garner also warns in the Financial Times against turning Qatar into a pariah state, but acknowledges its role is spreading radical Islam. Guest columnists for the New York Times are also weighing in on the fray.

Al Jazeera’s role in the flap is being plumbed, with Reuters’ Omar Fahmy and Mostafa Hashem stating that it is at the center of the controversy. “Local media in the countries that cut ties speculated it would be shut down in an effort by Qatar to appease its angry neighbors,” they write. It is perhaps not surprising that the Ikhwan friendly outlet would run a similar piece by Mohamed El Masry which claims that it has been a major point of contention for Egypt especially.

Meanwhile, Hossam Abougabal over at MEED warns that Egypt can hardly afford to do without the USD 1.6 bn in remittances sent home each year by more than 200k Egyptian expats living in Qatar.