US approves $1 billion Qatar arms deal amid ongoing Saudi blockade
The United States on Wednesday approved a $1.1 billion deal to service Qatar's F-15 fighter jets amid an ongoing blockade of the country by a Saudi-led coalition.
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On June 5 a Saudi-led coalition cut ties with Qatar. [Getty]
The United States on Wednesday approved a $1.1 billion deal to service Qatar's F-15 fighter jets amid an ongoing blockade of the country by a Saudi-led coalition.
Nearly five months ago, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and imposed an embargo on Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism and having close ties to Iran.
Qatar has denied the allegations and rejected the conditions of a proposed settlement to the diplomatic and economic boycott.
Riyadh's demands are not entirely clear, but they include the closure of media outlets such as Al Jazeera and The New Arab, mothballing a Turkish military base in Qatar, and payment of "compensation" to Gulf states and Egypt.
On Wednesday, the State Department announced it had approved a $1.1 billion contract to service Qatar's F-15QA jets and build them ground facilities and hardened bunkers.
"Qatar is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Persian Gulf region," the department said, in a note from its Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
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"Our mutual defense interests anchor our relationship and the Qatar Emiri Air Force plays a predominant role in Qatar's defense."
The new maintenance and training facilities will also come with improved "cyber security services, mission critical computer resources, support services, force protection services."
Qatar has sought to strengthen ties with the US since the boycott began in June. In July, the allies signed an agreement aimed at shoring up the Gulf nation's counter-terrorism efforts.
Qatar, which is home to the US's largest air base in the region, also in August held a joint training exercise with US paratroopers, which American officials said reinforced "the enduring military-to-military" partnership between the two countries.
Last month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited both Riyadh and the Qatari capital Doha to urge the Arab monarchies to negotiate away their differences.
The top US diplomat blamed the Saudi-led quartet for the lack of progress in attempts to mediate the crisis.
"There seems to be a real unwillingness on the part of some of the parties to want to engage," he said, adding: "It's up to the leadership of the quartet when they want to engage with Qatar because Qatar has been very clear - they're ready to engage."
Kuwait has tried to serve as a mediator, with US support, but the parties have yet to sit down face-to-face.
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