DEAL-MAKER

Qatar Inks $12 Billion Deal for New F-15 Jets

As neighboring countries accuses it of funding terror.

The United States and Qatar signed a $12 billion deal on Wednesday that would send as many as 36 F-15 jets to the gulf nation. In a statement, the Department of Defense said the deal “will give Qatar a state of the art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar.” The move comes as Qatar is becoming further isolated in the region, with neighboring countries and President Trump accusing the kingdom — which houses a major U.S. air base — of funding terrorism. “The nation of Qatar has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,” Trump said during a Rose Garden press conference, adding: “We have to stop the funding of terrorism.”