CAIRO (AP) — Egypt President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has praised President Trump for his role in "the formation of a united front to combat terrorism" after he called on Qatar to stop its financial support of extremist groups.

El-Sissi's praise-filled phone call Saturday came after the U.S. president echoed accusations made against Qatar by a Saudi-led group that cut diplomatic ties with the small oil-rich country earlier this week.

El-Sissi thanked Trump for his participation in a counter-terrorism summit in Riyadh last May, in which he abandoned some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign and vowed to fight terrorism in partnership with Middle East leaders.

The escalating crisis in the Persian Gulf erupted this week when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.