Iran has accused the US of setting the scene for the escalating Gulf diplomatic crisis during President Donald Trump’s recent trip to the Saudi Arabia.

“What is happening is the preliminary result of the sword dance,” Hamid Aboutalebi, deputy chief of staff of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, tweeted, in a reference to a traditional ceremonial dance that took place during Mr Trump's visit to the Saudi capital of Riyadh last month.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as the Western-recognised governments of Yemen and Libya, severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

The Middle Eastern countries were later joined by the Indian Ocean island nation of The Maldives.

Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Qatar over terror links

"[Qatar] embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Isis and al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly," Saudi state news agency SPA said.

SPA accused Qatar of supporting what it described as Iranian-backed militants in its restive and largely Shi'ite Muslim-populated Eastern region of Qatif, as well as in Bahrain.

Iran, which Mr Trump singled out as a key source of funding and support for extremist groups during his inaugural foreign trip, is the secondary target of Monday’s decision by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

The decision of the tiny energy rich country's neighbours to cut off its land, sea and air routes to the outside world is a “violation of its sovereignty”, a statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry said.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemen’s Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdom’s Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as “inciting people against the authorities”. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabia’s clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his ‘confession’. At Dawood’s trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

“The Qatari Government will take all necessary measures to ensure this and to thwart attempts to influence and harm the Qatari society and economy,” a foreign ministry said.

Doha has denied supporting militant groups. It described the crisis as being fuelled by “absolute fabrications” stemming from last month's hacking of Qatar’s state-run news agency.

Also on Monday, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry urged all parties to resolve disputes through dialogue and “political and peaceful” means.

The unprecedented rift could create economic fallout across the Middle East, as well as consequences for the region's many conflicts.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have used their oil and gas revenues to influence events in other Middle Eastern countries, and fallings-out between them can alter the political environment in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

In Sydney, visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he didn't believe the diplomatic crisis would affect the ongoing war against Isis in Iraq and Syria.

"I think what we're witnessing is a growing list of disbelief in the countries for some time, and they've bubbled up to take action in order to have those differences addressed," Mr Tillerson said.

“We certainly would encourage the parties to sit down together and address these differences.”

Qatari nationals have been given 14 days to leave the three Gulf countries, and the country has been suspended from the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. Foreign dignitaries from the three states and Egypt have been recalled.

Al Jazeera, the Qatari broadcaster, has reported that food trucks are queuing up at the Saudi border, unable to enter the country. Photos and video circulated on social media showed empty supermarket shelves as panicked citizens bought up supplies.

The effective closure of Qatar’s airspace for any significant amount of time will wreak havoc with the country’s economy. Qatar's stock market index has already sunk 7.5 per cent with some of the market's top blue-chips hardest hit.

The economic fallout could also affect timelines ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, which is being hosted by Doha.

The escalating row is the worst falling out between the neighbours since the 2014 rift over Doha’s backing of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, a pan-Arab movement considered dangerous by many in the Gulf.