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How to Fund a $1B Air Force One Renovation

Very quietly, apparently

(Newser) - The cost to renovate a "free" Air Force One gifted by Qatar remains a tightly kept secret, with the White House classifying the price tag. But a $934 million budget transfer, quietly moved from the ballooning nuclear missile modernization program, is widely believed to be funding the overhaul,...

Tiny Qatar Has Transformed Itself Into a Diplomacy Giant
The Nation Is Tiny, but
It's a Diplomatic Dynamo
longform
Jul 27, 2025 3:05 PM CDT

The Nation Is Tiny, but It's a Diplomatic Dynamo

The Guardian looks at Qatar's 'existential' shift on the world stage

(Newser) - As evidenced by its busy diplomacy during the Iran-Israel-US dispute earlier this year, tiny Qatar has transformed itself "into the diplomatic capital of the world," writes Nesrine Malik at the Guardian . Malik's deep dive into the subject, based on interviews with more than two dozen diplomats and...

How the Iran-Israel Ceasefire Came Together

Trump spoke with Netanyahu, then a Qatari official, who relayed the message to Iran

(Newser) - One name is emerging as a key figure in helping President Trump secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran—the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. A rough chronology, from various reports.
  • On Monday afternoon, shortly after Iran's relatively low-key retaliation against the US, Trump called
...

Trump Calls for 'Harmony' After 'Weak' Iranian Attack

President says nobody was injured in Iran's response to bombing of nuclear facilities

(Newser) - Iran fired missiles at the largest US military base in the Middle East on Monday—but President Trump signaled that the US does not plan to retaliate. He said "hardly any damage was done" by the barrage of missiles fired at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Trump said...

One Detail of Iran's Attack on US Base May Be Telling

Tehran says it used the same number of bombs as the US, suggesting it's not looking to escalate

(Newser) - The Pentagon says it has no reports of injuries or deaths at its military base in Qatar after Iran fired a barrage of missiles , reports the Washington Post . And the AP notes that Iran made a point to say that it used the same number of missiles as the US...

Iran Launches Attack on US Base in Qatar
Iran Launches Attack
on US Base in Qatar
UPDATED
Jun 23, 2025 12:39 PM CDT

Iran Launches Attack on US Base in Qatar

State media announces assault after explosions were reported

(Newser) - Iran has made its first retaliatory response to the US airstrikes—it fired a barrage of missiles at an American military base in Qatar on Monday, reports the Wall Street Journal . However, Qatar said it had successfully intercepted the missiles, or at least the first round of them. Sources tell...

Two Moves in Qatar Illustrate Iranian Tensions

Nation shuts down its airspace, and US embassy urges Americans to shelter in place

(Newser) - Iran hasn't yet retaliated over the American bombing of its nuclear sites, but a flurry of developments out of Qatar suggests the Persian Gulf nation is bracing to receive some of the blow. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Qatar is home to the Al Udeid Air Base, which...

Trump Has One Big Gripe About Qatar Luxury Jet

'Frankly, it's much too big,' he told reporters on Wednesday of the controversial 'gift' from Mideast

(Newser) - President Trump makes no secret of admiring "big, beautiful" things , but the controversial $400 million luxury jet he says was a gift to the US from Qatar may be too large, even for him. Although Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the recently accepted Boeing 747, which the Defense...

Trump's Jet From Qatar Is Now in US Hands

Pentagon confirmed receipt of the aircraft on Wednesday

(Newser) - In what the Guardian terms a "chaotic" meeting Wednesday between President Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramaphosa at one point said, "I'm sorry I don't have a plane to give you." Trump doesn't need it. The Defense Department on Wednesday confirmed receipt...

Boeing Signs Massive Qatar Deal During Trump Visit

Trump says deal with Qatar Airways is 'largest order of jets' in the company's history

(Newser) - President Trump's visit to Qatar was a huge day for America's biggest exporter. Qatar Airways signed a Boeing deal that Trump said was worth $200 billion and would involve 160 aircraft, reports Reuters . Trump said it was the "largest order of jets" in the company's history,...

Converting Jet Into 'Most Complicated Aircraft' May Cost Us

Aviation experts say turning Qatari 747 into Air Force One could cost $1B-plus, take years

(Newser) - President Trump continues to insist he'll accept a $400 million 747 offered by Qatar , but while the plane may be a "free" gift to his administration, taxpayers may not be keen on the bill they could face to convert the plane to Air Force One, as Trump intends....

MAGA Isn't Happy About Trump's Possible Gift From Qatar

Laura Loomer, Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin add to criticism of Trump plan to accept luxury jet

(Newser) - That Democrats have been attacking President Trump's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One isn't a surprise. The president, however, also is facing serious criticism from the right, including some prominent names within MAGA. One big concern is that the...

Trump Arrives in Saudi Arabia to Lavish Welcome

President begins a four-day trip to the Mideast

(Newser) - President Trump landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to begin a four-day trip to the Mideast, the first overseas trip of his second term. Details:
  • The New York Times notes a contrast: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Trump's jet in person, accompanied by an honor guard and even
...

Trump Defends Free Jet With Golf Analogy

'When they give you a putt, you say thank you very much'

(Newser) - President Trump has doubled down on his defense of plans to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar to serve as Air Force One. Critics (including his usual ally Laura Loomer ) have questioned the propriety and even the legality of such a gift, but Trump said Monday it...

Trump Defends Prospect of a Free Jet From Qatar

Plane would serve as Air Force One, and president calls critics of the idea 'losers'

(Newser) - President Trump is defending his plan to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, one that would serve as Air Force One during his presidency and possibly as his personal plane afterward. Critics—mostly Democrats but also some Republicans—have questioned the legality and ethics of the potential gift....

Trump Intends to Accept Gift From Qatar's Royals: Luxury 747

Government lawyers say plane can be used as Air Force One, then transferred to presidential library

(Newser) - The Trump administration plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from Qatar's royal family—a plane that President Trump would use as Air Force One while in office and as his personal airliner afterward. Valued at roughly $400 million before it's outfitted with...

Despite Ethics Pledges, Trump Organization Cuts Foreign Deal

Company owned by Qatari government is involved in resort, as is a Saudi firm

(Newser) - The Trump family company struck a deal Wednesday to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, an indication that it has no plans to hold back from foreign dealmaking during a second Trump administration, despite concerns that a president might shape US public policy for personal financial gain. The project,...

Both US Administrations Make Push for Middle East Deal

Netanyahu raises hopes by sending Mossad chief to Qatar talks

(Newser) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, his office said Saturday, in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza. David Barnea will travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, for the latest round...

Frustrated, Qatar Leaves Talks
Frustrated, Qatar Leaves Talks
Nov 9, 2024 12:30 PM CST

Frustrated, Qatar Leaves Talks

Decision could be reversed if Hamas, Israel get serious about a deal, officials say

(Newser) - Qatar has decided to suspend its mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, officials said Saturday. However, Qatar is highly likely to return to the efforts if both sides show "serious political willingness" to reach a deal on the war in Gaza, said an official with Egypt, the other key...

Israel to Palestinians in Rafah: Get Out

Directive suggests that a ground invasion in southern Gaza city is imminent

(Newser) - The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent. The announcement complicates last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the director of the CIA, to broker...

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