WASHINGTON (AP) - A State Department spokesman says a retired Marine general has quit his post as an envoy seeking to resolve a dispute with Qatar.

Spokesman Robert Palladino said Tuesday that the Trump administration will continue to pursue the work of Anthony Zinni, a former commander of U.S. Central Command who retired from the Marine Corps in 2000.

Palladino expressed thanks for Zinni’s work, which included discussing with regional leaders the idea of a NATO-like group called the Middle East Strategic Alliance. CBS News quoted Zinni as saying he resigned after realizing he could not help resolve the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a tour of Middle East capitals that is scheduled to include a stop in Qatar.

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