() President Donald Trump spoke to troops at Al Udeid Air Base on Thursday, touting a relationship between Qatar and the United States that he says has “never been stronger.”
“You will never see anything like the relationship we have,” Trump said at the facility, the largest U.S. military hub in the Middle East.
Qatar is expected to invest $10 billion in the base, Trump said Thursday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed troops about his vision for the military, which he said will be “stronger than ever before.”
Backlash has mounted after Qatar offered Trump a free Air Force One replacement — a Boeing 747 worth $400 million.
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump told reporters Monday. “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”
Trump’s Middle East trip continues in Abu Dhabi
Trump and his entourage are expected to visit Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, the last leg of his four-day trip to the Middle East.
Trump predicted on Thursday that his tour could bring the U.S. up to $4 trillion in deals.
He secured $600 billion in Saudi investments Tuesday, followed by aircraft and defense deals with Qatari leaders on Wednesday.
US, Iran ‘close to maybe doing a deal’: Trump
On Thursday, Trump discussed U.S. attacks on Iran-backed Houthi rebels, saying American forces hit them hard and got out.
A significant goal of Trump’s trip to the Middle East is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“So we’ll see what happens, but we’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” Trump said, adding that Iran has “sort of agreed to the terms.”
“We’re getting close to maybe doing a deal,” he said.
Trump also proposed upgrades to several fighter jet models, including F-35, F-55 and F-22 fighter jets.
Trump, Putin skipping negotiations in Turkey
Russia-Ukraine peace talks will begin in Turkey on Thursday, with Trump’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, representing the administration.
Trump said Thursday he could visit “if something happened” during the negotiations.
“I was thinking about going, but it’s very tough because of what we’re doing today and tomorrow. But you know, if something happened, I’d go on Friday if it was appropriate,” Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending the Istanbul meeting. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has opted out of the ceasefire discussions, according to a delegation list released by the Kremlin on Wednesday.
‘s Anna Kutz contributed to this report.
