The German foreign minister has described Donald Trump’s Middle East policy as “completely wrong”.

In an unusually outspoken interview, Sigmar Gabriel hit out on Wednesday at what he called the “Trumpification” of the Middle East, and blamed it for the current crisis between Qatar and its neighbours.

“The recent massive arms deals President Trump made with the Gulf monarchies exacerbate the risk of a new arms race. This policy is completely wrong, and it is certainly not Germany's policy,” Mr Gabriel told Handelsblatt newspaper.

He described the current stand-off in which Saudi Arabia and other nieghbouring countries have cut all relations with Qatar as “dangerous”.

“I am very concerned by the dramatic escalation of the situation and the consequences for the whole region,” Mr Gabriel said.