US approves advanced weapons and drones sale to Qatar amid ongoing concerns over its support for terror

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday gave preliminary approval for the $1.96 billion sale of eight MQ-9B drones and related equipment, including hundreds of missiles and bombs, to Qatar. 

According to a press release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Qatari government requested a multi-component defense package, with the drones representing the most expensive element.

The MQ-9B, also known as the"Sky Guardian," is a long-range surveillance drone capable of staying aloft for over 40 hours. 

Qatar’s list of requested equipment also contained 200 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 300 500-lb general-purpose bombs, 110 Hellfire II missiles, Seaspray 7500 maritime radars and SAGE Electronic Support Measure systems from Leonardo. 

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the press release stated. 

The press release did not indicate why Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, would need such capabilities “for its security and defense,” however, it claimed that “the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.” 

The principal contractors involved in the deal are General Atomics Aeronautical, Lockheed Martin, RTX and Boeing. 

The U.S. has long maintained a policy of preserving the regional balance of power, which has led to the limitation or denial of previous arms sales to Qatar, due in part to its somewhat strained relationships with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both key U.S. military partners.

The approval of the weapons package sale may represent a change in U.S. President Donald Trump's stance toward Qatar, following his earlier support for Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE during their boycott of Qatar over its alleged support for extremist groups in the Middle East.

At the beginning of his first term in 2017, Trump also accused Qatar of funding terror groups. However, after the country began to invest significantly in the U.S., Trump began to change his stance, stating in 2019, “They are investing very heavily in our country. They’re creating lots of jobs. They’re buying tremendous amounts of military equipment, including planes.”

While Qatar has continued to invest in the U.S. over the years, it has recently come under scrutiny for its donations to major U.S. universities, some of which have become sites of significant antisemitic incidents.

Some analysts are calling the deal into question and asking if the U.S. government is appropriately evaluating Qatar’s role in Middle East events. 

A Witkoff deal in the works?

Giving this technology to Qatar means Iran will have access to it and its proxies will use it against the U.S. and our allies in the future

This is a mistake that will have consequences. https://t.co/mqOnCu1DF8

— Michael P Pregent (@MPPregent) March 27, 2025

Qatar has long supported the Muslim Brotherhood, an international Islamist movement that has been declared a terror organization by Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 

While Qatar claims to be a neutral negotiator in the ceasefire-hostage release talks between Israel and Hamas, the country has hosted several Hamas leaders since 2012. It also refused to condemn Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.

On Oct. 7, the Qatari Foreign Ministry released a statement that blamed Israel for the attacks.

"The State of Qatar expresses its deep concern over the developments in Gaza Strip and calls on all parties to de-escalate, and exercise maximum restraint," read the statement. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police."

The Qatar-owned Al Jazeera news network has also maintained a pro-Hamas, anti-Israel stance for years, even before the start of the Gaza War.