Story highlights Qatar finds itself increasingly isolated over its alleged support of terrorism

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE are among major players in diplomatic spat

(CNN) The United Arab Emirates on Thursday upped the ante against Qatar by shutting its airspace, not just to Qatari flights but all air traffic to and from the capital Doha amid the worst diplomatic crisis to hit Gulf Arab states in decades.

The move comes as Bahrain criminalized any show of support on social media in a bid to further isolate Qatar, which has been accused of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates this week broke off relations with Qatar, which has dismissed the accusations as "unjustified" and "baseless." Yemen and the Maldives also cut ties with Qatar. The list later expanded to nine, with the addition of Mauritius, Mauritania and Libya's eastern-based government.

On Thursday, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said via Twitter: "We ... have closed the airspace for all Air Traffic to and from Doha until further notice. #GCAA #UAE". A day earlier, the authority shut down all offices in the UAE of Qatar's national carrier Qatar Airways.

Bahrain's move against Qatar is in step with other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a close regional alliance that includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Only Kuwait and Oman continue ties with Qatar.

Read More