Latest news with #AlUdeidAirBase
Asharq Al-Awsat
16-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Visits Al Udeid, Says Qatar Will Invest $10 Billion in Air Base
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Qatar will invest $10 billion in the coming years in the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha, the largest US military facility in the Middle East. Speaking at a meeting with business leaders in Qatar, Trump said his trip through the Gulf region could generate $4 trillion. 'This is a record tour. There's never been a tour that will raise—it could be a total of $3.5, $4 trillion. Just in this four or five days,' he said. He described his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Emirates as a historic trip. Later during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Thursday, where he spoke to American troops, Trump said, 'We almost lost the Middle East because of the policies of the Joe Biden administration. But we're going to protect the Middle East.' On the nuclear file, Trump revealed that the United States is 'very close to making a deal with Iran,' stating that Tehran has 'somewhat agreed to the terms' of a long-term agreement. He added, 'We want to deal with the Iran problem in a smart way — but not violently.' On the situation in Yemen, Trump said the US is prepared to return to military operations against the Houthis if provoked. 'We're dealing with the Houthis, and I think that's been very successful. But maybe an attack will be launched tomorrow — in which case, we'll go back to the offensive,' he said. Trump then praised US troops stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha. 'You are the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. We have the strongest military in the world,' he said. Trump also touted plans for advanced US warplanes — including the Boeing F-47 announced in March as an update on the F-22 and named in honor of both the incumbent 47th president and the founding year of the Air Force. 'We're going to do an F-55 and I think if we get the right price, we have to get the right price, and that'll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35,' Trump said. The US President also commented on his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh. 'I didn't know Syria had been under sanctions for this long,' Trump said.
LBCI
15-05-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Trump says Qatar will invest $10 billion in Al Udeid Air Base
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Qatar will invest $10 billion in the coming years in the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha, the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East. Reuters
Al Arabiya
15-05-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Trump says Qatar will invest $10 billion in US airbase
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Qatar will invest $10 billion in coming years in the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of the country's capital Doha, the largest US military facility in the Middle East. In a speech to US troops at the base during his tour of the Gulf, Trump also said Qatari defense purchases signed on Wednesday are worth $42 billion. Trump will later head to the United Arab Emirates. With Reuters
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump reveals his real reason for looking at serving a third term in speech to troops in Qatar
President Donald Trump again teased running for a third term during a speech to U.S. servicemembers at the country's largest base in the Middle East. Trump appeared at the Al Udeid Air Base located outside of Doha in Qatar on Thursday, as part of this three-country tour of the region. Before an audience of more than 1,000, Trump again pushed that he had won the 2020 election. 'We won three elections, OK? And some people want us to do a fourth. I don't know. I'll have to think about it,' the president said. He then revealed the real reason he kept bringing it up. 'The hottest hat is, it says "Trump 2028." We're driving the left crazy when you see that,' Trump said. The Constitution says that a president can't serve more than two terms - an amendment that was added after Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times. Democratic critics have used Trump's third term chatter to say that he's trying to defy the Constitution. While the president is touring three countries in the Middle East - Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - he's continued to talk domestic politics like he was at home. Earlier Thursday he made a jab at former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran for the White House in the Democratic primary in 2020 - and could possibly launch another bid. 'Can you believe it? He's running the biggest air system in the world, and he takes a bicycle to work, what a - and they say he's going to run for president,' Trump scoffed at a breakfast in Doha with business leaders. 'I don't see it. Who knows but I don't see it.' If elected, Buttigieg, 43, would be the first openly gay U.S. president. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana visited Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Wednesday sparking speculation he'll run for the White House in 2028. During the visit, Buttigieg spanked Trump and his MAGA-filled administration. 'There is a parade of horribles emanating from this White House,' the ex-Transporation secretary said. 'The American people bow to no king.' Buttigieg also recalled the last time he spent time in the Hawkeye State, 'I was sort of winning the Iowa caucus.' During the 2020 caucus the app the Democrats were using to tabulate the results crashed and the winner wasn't known immediately. It was eventually determined that Buttigieg had won the caucus as its traditionally held, but progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders also called it a win due to earning the most pure votes. During President Joe Biden's leadership of the party, the Democratic primaries were reordered with Iowa losing its first-place caucus and South Carolina going first.
The National
15-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Donald Trump says his priority is to end conflicts as Doha visit ends
Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his priority was to end wars, but he would not hesitate to 'wield American power if it's required', while addressing US troops in Qatar at the conclusion of his visit, the second leg of his multi-day tour of the Gulf. The US leader began his tour on Tuesday with a stop in Riyadh and is scheduled to finish it in Abu Dhabi on Friday. 'My priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power, if it's necessary, to defend the United States of America or our partners, and this is one of our great partners right here,' he said. Mr Trump delivered his remarks at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East and a key strategic post for American and coalition forces. He also praised US troops at the American airbase in Qatar. 'You are the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. We have the strongest military in the world,' he said to applause from hundreds of servicemen and women. 'Best equipment. Nobody has the planes, missiles or anything else. As your commander-in-chief, I'm here to say America's military will be bigger, better, stronger and more powerful than ever before. 'Over $1 trillion – peace through strength. We don't have to use it – because if we use it, I feel sorry for the other guy.' Built in the 1990s by Qatar and expanded to host US operations after 2001, Al Udeid Air Base plays a central role in regional air operations, including combat missions, aerial refuelling and intelligence-gathering across the Middle East. The base houses more than 10,000 US and coalition personnel and hosts the forward headquarters of US Central Command, US Air Forces Central Command and the Combined Air Operations Centre, making it a critical site in the region. Mr Trump arrived in Doha on Wednesday, where he was received with a grand welcome ceremony. He signed several agreements with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, including major deals on aviation and defence co-operation. Among them was a $96 billion order by Qatar Airways for Boeing jets – the largest in the company's history. From his visits to Riyadh and Doha, Mr Trump secured deals worth billions in investment and defence. Further economic and security talks are expected during his stop in Abu Dhabi. Before heading to Al Udeid, about 30km south-west of Doha, Mr Trump said that a deal was close with Iran to avert a military strike on the country's contested nuclear sites. 'We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran,' said Mr Trump. 'I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.' The US and Iran have held four rounds of nuclear talks since April, all mediated by Oman. The negotiations aim to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. 'Iran is very lucky to have the Emir because he's actually fighting for them,' said Mr Trump. 'He doesn't want us to do a vicious blow to Iran, he said you can make a deal and he's really fighting for that. 'A lot of people want me to go the other route – they say knock it out.' He would instead choose the diplomatic route, he added. Reports suggest that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to convince Mr Trump to allow an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear plants. Observers believe that Mr Netanyahu could still be planning a limited attack on Iran's nuclear centres in the coming months despite Mr Trump telling him that the US was for now unwilling to support such a move. Ali Shamkhani, adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News on Wednesday that Iran could accept curbs on its nuclear programme and forgo highly enriched uranium in exchange for a deal that would see sanctions lifted. Mr Trump has repeatedly said Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and insists it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. However, since the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under Mr Trump, Tehran has repeatedly breached the accord in response to renewed American sanctions, stockpiling enough highly enriched uranium to potentially produce multiple nuclear bombs. The 2015 deal, which is set to expire this year, limited Iran to enriching uranium up to 3.67 per cent for 15 years. But as of February, the IAEA reported that Iran had enriched uranium to 60 per cent and could rapidly reach weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. In his remarks in Doha, Mr Trump also addressed other regional flashpoints, including Syria and Gaza. He said he wanted the US to 'take' Gaza and turn it into a 'freedom zone'. 'I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,' he said. The proposal is reminiscent of his earlier controversial suggestions for Gaza's economic redevelopment, which were widely rejected by Arab and European states for implying the forced displacement of Palestinians. On Syria, Mr Trump said he liked the country's new leader Ahmad Al Shara 'a lot' despite his 'strong past' and that the lifting of sanctions would give him a chance at leading the country. Mr Trump met Mr Al Shara in Riyadh, after announcing the lifting of US sanctions to give Syria an opportunity for economic recovery and signal a pivot in American Middle East policy. It was the first meeting between US and Syrian heads of state in 25 years.
