Dubai: The United States has given an initial approval for the energy-rich Mideast nation of Qatar to buy eight armed MQ-9B Predator drones for its military, an estimated purchase worth nearly USD 2 billion.
The State Department approval announced early Thursday for Qatar comes after Doha had been trying to purchase the drones during the Biden administration, but hadn’t gotten the OK despite serving as an interlocutor for Washington to the Taliban in Afghanistan, Iran’s theocracy and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The immediate approval under President Donald Trump serves as a far-different starting point for his government’s relations with Qatar.