Qatar signs $12-bln deal with United States for 36 F-15 jets

One Qatari source said that the Emirate was purchasing 36 of the F-15 tactical fighter jets in the deal finalized in Washington on Thursday.

Qatar's Defense Ministry said the deal would create 60,000 jobs in 42 USA states while reducing the burden on US forces. "The $12 billion sale will give Qatar a state of the art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar".

The president called Qatar a "funder of terrorism at a very high level", telling a press conference in the White House Rose Garden that the country had to "do more" to combat terror. "Our militaries are like brothers".

Taking initiative to resolve the Gulf crisis Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has landed in Doha in a first leg to his Gulf tour to mend Qatar's ties with Arab states and said the crisis should be resolved "through peace and dialogue".

"This agreement underscores the longstanding commitment of the State of Qatar in jointly working with our friends and allies in the United States", al-Attiyah said in the statement.

The Pentagon last week renewed praise of Qatar for hosting a vital US air base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security", after four Arab countries cut ties with the Gulf ally.

The sale comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar's neighbors accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties.

"US 5th Fleet ships conduct similar port visits throughout the region as part of our normal operations", Urban told the AP.

After an initial run on grocery stores by nervous residents, Qatar has organized dairy shipments from Turkey while Shiite power Iran also has begun shipping in food. While the two sides are far apart at the moment, there are positive signs they're willing to reach a conclusion and want Kuwait to continue to mediate, the official said, adding that Turkey was also helping.

Qatar is an important base for the USA military carrying out operations against Islamic State militants and other groups in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and beyond.

Qatar has filed complaints to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, calling the Arab nations' refusal to let it fly through their airspace illegal.

Turkey's foreign minister held talks with Qatar's emir Wednesday as the search for a diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis intensified and the United Nations voiced fears over growing humanitarian concerns in the region.

Defense analyst Nicholas A. Heras of the Center for a New American Security said the agreement falls under the category of "long-running deals that need to be cleared after review by different elements of the United States government".

Ahead of the talks in Kuwait, Cavusoglu said he will travel to the holy city of Makkah on Friday for talks with King Salman.