Qatar Strikes $200 Billion Boeing Deal with US During Trump Visit, Offers ‘Flying Palace’ Jet
In Doha, the second stop of his Middle East tour, U.S. President Donald Trump signed bilateral trade and defense agreements on May 14. Among them is an agreement under which Qatar Airways will purchase 160 aircraft from the US manufacturer Boeing for $200 billion. The president's visit comes amid controversy over his possible acceptance of a Boeing 747-8 to replace Air Force One, as a gift from the Qatari royal family.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Wednesday to meet with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, where they held a meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Doha and Washington signed agreements to strengthen their trade ties, including an agreement for Qatar Airways to purchase 160 planes from the US manufacturer Boeing, valued at more than $200 billion.
In the defense sector, a series of agreements were signed to expand cooperation between the two sides, including a letter of offer and acceptance for the MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicles. This country represents an important military-logistics hub. The United States has its main base in the region there, a concession it extended for another ten years last year.
The partnership is cross-partisan and non-discriminatory: Former Democratic President Joe Biden designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a designation given to close friends who maintain strategic working relationships with the U.S. military.
During Wednesday's meeting, the Qatari president described Trump as a "man of peace" and hoped his return to the presidency would bring harmony to the region.
"We are very excited. Mr. President, I have known you for many years. I know you are a man of peace. I know you want to bring peace to this region. We all do. I hope this time we can do the right thing and bring peace," he said.
The Qatari emir affirmed that both nations have elevated their relationship to a new level, marking the first visit by a US president to Qatar in more than 20 years. Finally, the leaders issued a joint declaration of cooperation between the two states.
Diplomatically, Qatar is a key interlocutor for Hamas, while the United States is Israel's guarantor and main ally. Both countries have shown efforts to bridge their gaps amid the ongoing hostilities in Gaza, but Trump's visit to the country brought no updates regarding the worrying situation in the Palestinian territory, despite the Republican leader acknowledging Qatar's diplomatic efforts.
A new Air Force One delivered by Qatar?
Trump's visit to Qatar was overshadowed by the Qatari royal family's possible gift of a Boeing 747-8 to replace the current US presidential plane. Although it has sparked controversy in the United States since the news broke, the president is willing to accept it.
Trump defended the possible surrender on social media. "The fact that the Department of Defense is receiving a 747 as a gift to temporarily replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, in a very public and transparent transaction, is so upsetting to corrupt Democrats who insist we pay top dollar for the plane," he said.
The potential deal with Qatar raises ethical questions and would also need to be approved by Congress, political experts emphasize.
As the controversy surrounding the plane continues to fill the pages of the American press, the president will continue his tour to the United Arab Emirates, where he plans to meet with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss investment opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy, and manufacturing.
A possible brief visit by Trump to Türkiye remains up in the air, where a key mediation for Europe's future regarding the war in Ukraine could take place.
Trump asks Qatar for help in persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear program
In recent years, Qatar has played the role of intermediary between the United States and Iran and its allies, including during negotiations with Tehran-backed Hamas as it continues its war with Israel.
"I hope you can help me with the Iran situation," Trump said during his speech at the formal dinner. "It's a dangerous situation, and we want to do the right thing."
The call to Qatar came after Trump told leaders at a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that he wants to "get a deal done," but that Tehran must stop backing proxy groups across the region as part of any potential pact.
The United States and Iran negotiated a nuclear deal in 2015, during the administration of former President Barack Obama, in which Iran committed to drastically reducing its uranium stockpile and enriching it to only 3.67%. However, that agreement was scrapped during Trump's first administration.
Iran currently enriches up to 60%, a technical measure not far from the levels needed to make weapons, and has enough stockpiles for multiple nuclear bombs if it chooses to build them.
The Qatari emir told Fox News Wednesday night that "we agree that we want a region free of nuclear weapons and we cannot afford a nuclear war in that region." But, according to Al Thani, "Iran has the right to have civilian nuclear energy, without posing a challenge or threat to anyone in the region." He noted that the issue must be resolved through diplomatic channels.
The United States and Iran have held four rounds of negotiations since early last month regarding Iran's nuclear program. Trump has reiterated his belief in the possibility of a negotiated settlement, but that time is running out.
At the state dinner, he called on Iran's leaders to "act together" or risk escalating into open conflict.
"Because things like this start and get out of control," Trump said. "I've seen it time and time again. They go to war and things get out of control, and we're not going to let that happen."
Trump, appearing at the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Riyadh, also said Tehran "must stop sponsoring terrorism, stop its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons" as conditions for any deal.
The US president's strong call for Iran to end its support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen comes after the groups have suffered significant setbacks since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Trump's remarks "misleading" but did not directly address the president's call to withdraw support for allied groups.
Trump added that he believed the time was right for a future free from the control of Hezbollah terrorists. The Lebanese political-paramilitary group is severely weakened after last year's war with Israel, in which many of its top leaders were killed, and after losing a key ally with the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a gateway for arms shipments from Iran.
Lifting of sanctions against Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on Iran came after his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a face-to-face encounter with the insurgent leader who spent years imprisoned by U.S. forces after being captured in Iraq.
Al-Sharaa was appointed president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by insurgent groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, al-Sharaa, stormed into Damascus and ended the Assad family's 54-year rule.
Trump maintained that he agreed to meet with al-Sharaa after being encouraged by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also promised to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria for years.
The White House described the meeting with al-Sharaa as a brief "on-the-side encounter" that ended up lasting more than 30 minutes. Trump told reporters that the meeting with al-Sharaa was "excellent" and described the leader as a "good-looking young man" with a "very strong past." "He has a real chance of keeping the situation under control," he added.
On Thursday, Trump will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the final stop of his Middle East tour.