US, Qatar sign $12bn fighter jet deal amid Persian Gulf row

The US has signed a $12-billion deal to sell F-15 fighter jets to Qatar amid a dispute engulfing the Persian Gulf region, which saw President Donald Trump siding with a Saudi-led bloc of nations facing off against Doha.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday the country had signed a deal to buy F-15 fighter jets from Washington for $12 billion.

According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the deal was inked by Qatari Defense Khalid al-Attiyah and his US counterpart, James Mattis, in Washington.

The Pentagon also announced in a statement that the sale would give Qatar “a state of the art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability” between Doha and Washington.

It added that Attiyah and Mattis also discussed the current level of operations against the Daesh terrorist group as well as the importance of reducing tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

Attiyah, in turn, said the agreement underscores the “commitment in advancing our military cooperation for closer strategic collaboration in our fight to counter violent extremism.”

The announcement came days after the US president accused Qatar of being a “high-level” sponsor of terrorism.

SS