A media war seems to have broken out between Qatar and major Arab countries in the Middle East after the state-run Qatari news agency published pro-Iran remarks attributed to the Emir of Qatar.

Egypt and Bahrain have joined Saudi Arabia and the UAE in blocking their citizens’ access to all Qatari media, including the Al Jazeera news network, after Qatar’s state news website published remarks by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in praise of Iran.

The move to block Qatari media came as Qatar’s government clearly declared the statements associated with the country’s Emir were untrue and fake.

The Qatari administration stressed in a statement that its media agency had been hacked, and the hackers had published statements against Persian Gulf Neighbours and allies. But Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya and UAE’s Sky News Arabia started an open coverage to discuss the Qatari stances that praised Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

Qatar had earlier congratulated Iran’s Hassan Rouhani for securing a second term as president of a country which is at odds with Saudi Arabia.

It is also reported that Al Jazeera TV had covered the Bahraini regime’s crackdown on its Shiite citizens, particularly the top cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim.