Qatar to donate a jumbo jet for Trump's exclusive use as a presidential plane, sources say
Washington — The royal family of Qatar is donating a jumbo jet for President Trump's exclusive use as a presidential plane, sources told CBS News.
ABC News first reported the gift, which comes as Mr. Trump heads to Qatar as part of his first international trip of his second term.
But the plane, a 747-8, won't be ready to serve as Air Force One quite yet, and Mr. Trump won't be using it to fly back to the U.S. from the Middle East. The plane needs to be checked for security and spying devices before it is accepted, one of the sources told CBS News.
The plane will be donated to the future Trump presidential library shortly before he leaves office.
Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's Media Attaché to the U.S., confirmed to CBS News that the possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made.
But Al-Ansar said reports that the plane will be gifted during this trip are "inaccurate."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Sunday that "any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump's Administration is committed to full transparency."
Qatar has also offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense, but the gift will not be donated or accepted during this trip to Qatar, a U.S. official said.
The president is departing Monday on his first major foreign trip of his second term, set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the four-day visit.
Leavitt said Friday that the trip will focus on "strengthening ties between our nations," citing Mr. Trump's first trip in 2017 to the Middle East, where he "introduced his bold peace-through-strength foreign policy strategy."
"Now, eight years later, President Trump will return to re-emphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous and successful Middle East, where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships, and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges," Leavitt said.
Qatar's Media Attaché to the U.S., Ali Al-Ansari, disputed reports, saying in a statement that the "possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense," while noting that "the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made."
contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
28 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Israelis love Trump. But some are unnerved by his vow to 'save' Netanyahu from his corruption trial
JERUSALEM — President Donald Trump's call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial to be thrown out has plunged the American leader into one of Israel's most heated debates, unnerving some in its political class just days after they unanimously praised his strikes on Iran. Trump's social media post condemning the trial as a 'WITCH HUNT,' and his vow that the United States will be the one who 'saves' Netanyahu from serious corruption charges , came just two days after he called off an Israeli bombing raid in Iran to preserve a ceasefire.
News24
35 minutes ago
- News24
Khamenei says Trump 'exaggerated' impact of US strikes on nuclear sites
Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed US claims of major damage to its nuclear programme, calling the strikes exaggerated and ineffective. Trump insisted key Iranian nuclear sites were 'obliterated', while leaked US intelligence suggests only a few months' delay. Iran and the US may resume nuclear talks next week, following a 12-day war that left over 650 people dead. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump on Thursday of exaggerating the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, in his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel took hold. In a televised speech, Khamenei hailed what he described as Iran's 'victory' over Israel, vowed never to yield to US pressure and insisted Washington had been dealt a humiliating 'slap'. 'The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration,' Khamenei said, rejecting US claims Iran's nuclear programme had been set back by decades. The strikes, he insisted, had done 'nothing significant' to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Trump, however, maintained the US attacks were devastating. The US president said key facilities, including the underground Fordo uranium enrichment site, had been 'obliterated' by American B-2 bombers. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed speculation Iran might have removed enriched uranium prior to the raid, saying: 'Nothing was taken out... too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!' Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.26.25 09:13 AM EST The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move! — Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 26, 2025 He added that satellite images showed trucks at the site only because Iranian crews were attempting to shield the facility with concrete. Khamenei dismissed such claims, saying 'the Islamic Republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America'. His remarks followed the end of a 12-day war between Iran and Israel - the deadliest between the two countries to date. Both sides have claimed victory: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a 'historic win', while Khamenei said Iran's missile retaliation had brought Israel to the brink of collapse. US defence In Washington, the true impact of the strikes has sparked sharp political and intelligence debates. A leaked classified assessment suggested the damage to Iran's nuclear programme may be less severe than initially claimed - possibly delaying progress by only a few months. This assessment contrasts with statements from senior US officials. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said several facilities would need to be 'rebuilt over the course of years'. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accused the media of misrepresenting the operation. He said the United States used massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Fordo and another underground site, while submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles targeted a third facility. Hegseth said: President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating - choose your word - obliterating, destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities. Doubts remain about whether Iran quietly removed some 400 kilograms of enriched uranium from its most sensitive sites before the strikes - potentially hiding nuclear material elsewhere in the country. Netanyahu says Iran 'thwarted' Following waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since mid-June, the US bombed three key Iranian atomic facilities. Initial intelligence reports, first revealed by CNN, suggested the strikes did not destroy critical components and delayed Iran's nuclear programme only by months. Experts questioned if Iran had pre-emptively moved enriched uranium to protect it. The US administration has forcefully rejected such suggestions. Trump described the attack as having 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear facilities, including the Fordo site, which is buried inside a mountain, and claimed it had set back the programme by 'decades'. READ | Trump slams report Iran moved uranium before strikes, even as nuclear watchdog 'lost visibility' The Israeli military said it delivered a 'significant' blow to Iran's nuclear sites but cautioned it was 'still early' to fully assess the damage. Netanyahu said Israel had 'thwarted Iran's nuclear project', warning any attempt by Iran to rebuild it would be met with the same determination and intensity. Nuclear talks? Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera that 'nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure'. After the war derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope 'for a comprehensive peace agreement'. Trump told reporters Israel and Iran were 'both tired, exhausted', before going on to say that talks were planned with Iran next week. Iran has consistently denied seeking a nuclear weapon while defending its 'legitimate rights' to the peaceful use of atomic energy. It has also said it is willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington. The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said. Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures. A state funeral will be held on Saturday in Tehran for top commanders and nuclear scientists killed in the war.
Fox News
35 minutes ago
- Fox News
'The mission was accomplished': Senate Republicans push back against leaked report on Iran strikes
Print Close By Alex Miller Published June 26, 2025 Senate Republicans pushed back against a leaked report that President Donald Trump's strikes on Iran did not obliterate the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, but still wanted more information on the full extent of the damage done to the key facilities. A widely reported "low confidence" assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the weekend strikes, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, did not completely destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities. DEM SENATOR PLOWS AHEAD WITH WAR POWERS RESOLUTION DESPITE CEASEFIRE Trump has remained firm that the sites were "totally obliterated," and the White House has strongly pushed back against the report. And both the Israeli and Iranian governments agree that the sites were badly damaged. Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee told Fox News Digital that they were confident in the president's assessment and pushed back against the DIA's findings. "First of all, one of the things I'd consider is the DIA said that Ukraine would be wiped out in three days," Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told Fox News Digital. "And second, whatever the damage to Fordow is, the damage to the [nuclear] capabilities of Iran are devastating." 'NOT OUR ROLE': LAWMAKERS CAUTIOUS OVER MIDDLE EAST PEACE, NOT READY FOR REGIME CHANGE Cramer said that the effectiveness of the bombing, which was carried out by several B-2 bombers armed with bunker-busting bombs, could not be "overstated," and warned that lingering questions surrounding the effectiveness of the operation were just "fodder for political discussion." "I think the mission was accomplished," he said. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., had not yet read the report, but called the DIA's finding and subsequent news reports "bogus." Wicker's sentiment came just after Senate Republicans met behind closed doors with Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. "We just spoke to the Israeli ambassador to the United States just a few moments ago, and his assessment is that their capability has been destroyed for years," Wicker said. 'NOT CONSTITUTIONAL': CONGRESS INVOKES NEW WAR POWERS RESOLUTION TO REJECT TRUMP'S STRIKES ON IRAN Still, just how damaged the nuclear facilities are, particularly the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant buried deep under layers of rock, is a question lawmakers want answered and believe would only come from a true boots-on-the-ground assessment. Senators are set to receive a briefing Thursday afternoon from Trump officials on the strikes, and expect to learn more about the true extent of the damage. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that he'd seen all the evidence and there was not "an inconsistency" between the president's assertions and the materials he had seen. He said that the briefing would allow lawmakers "a chance from multiple sources to glean what's actually down deep underneath," but noted that until more clear information was available, absolute confirmation of the total damage wrought by the bombs was not complete. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Whether another strike should be authorized should further intelligence show that the program was not fully destroyed, Rounds said, "another strike depends on what the other options would be." "I don't think you ever take anything off the table for the president, but there might be other ways of handling it as well, because we've really opened that place up now," he said. Print Close URL
