WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - During a visit with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Saudi's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir denied a "blockade of Qatar", saying its closure of its airspace to flights from Qatar is the kingdom's "sovereign right".

The comments were in reaction to remarks by Qatar Airways' chief executive that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were
violating international law by shutting out Qatari flights.

Earlier in the week, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency that the airspace closure was to protect the country and its citizens from anything it sees as a threat and as a precautionary measure.