Qatar signs $12 billion deal to buy F-15 jets from US

KARIM JAAFAR / AFP / Getty Images

June 11, 2017: Cars in Doha with portraits of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and text reading in Arabic: ‘Tamim the glorious.’ The diplomatic crisis surrounding Qatar and other Gulf countries has remained a peaceful one for now, but open warfare has been declared in the media – both traditional and social.

In November, the United States approved possible sale of up to 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for $21.1 billion. Boeing is the prime contractor on the fighter jet sale to the Middle East nation.

Boeing declined to comment.

Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a “high-level” sponsor of terrorism, potentially hindering the U.S. Department of State’s efforts to ease heightening tensions and a blockade of the Gulf nation by Arab states and others.