US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has been playing a key role in resolving the ongoing Gulf crisis, was unceremoniously sacked by US President Donald Trump on Twitter.

The US President, who cited differences with the Secretary of State as reason for the sacking, replaced him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, reported Al Jazeera.

The move by Trump is the biggest shake-up of his cabinet since taking office.

“Mike Pompeo, director of the CIA, will become our new secretary of state. He will do a fantastic job. Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!” Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

Trump also said on Twitter that Gina Hapsel, CIA deputy director, will replace Pompeo as the head of the agency. He added that she is ‘the first woman so chosen.’

Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018

According to the Washington Post, Trump asked Tillerson to leave the post last Friday. 

Tillerson cut short his trip to Africa on Monday and returned to Washington, DC, prompting questions about his future at the state department.

Tillerson, a former top executive of the energy giant Exxon, took office on February 1, 2017.

Trump and Tillerson have not seen eye-to-eye on a range of issues, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Gulf crisis.

“We disagreed on things,” Trump said outside the White House on Tuesday, adding that the pair “were not really thinking the same.”

Tillerson has criticised Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt — which cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar on June 5, 2017 — from the onset.

He urged the Gulf states to ease the blockade, which contradicted what appeared to be Trump's initial support for the move.

Picture courtesy: VOA News