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Qatar Row: 2 US Warships Dock at Doha Port

Qatar Row: 2 US Warships Dock at Doha Port
folder_openMiddle East... access_time6 years ago
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Local Editor

Two US navy vessels arrived in Doha to take part in joint military drills with the Qatari navy amid escalating tensions between Arab Gulf states.

Qatar Row: 2 US Warships Dock at Doha Port

The US ships arrived at Hamad Port south of Doha "to participate in a joint exercise with the Qatari Emiri Navy," according to the Qatari News Agency [QNA] on Wednesday.

QNA further noted that the crews of the two ships were received by Qatari navy officers.

In early June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates [UAE] broke off relations with Doha and suspended all land, air and sea traffic with the monarchy.

In their apparent bid to secure US support and that of the Zionist entity, the four countries cited Qatar's links with the Palestinian Hamas movement and accused it of supporting terrorism.

It is not clear if the deployment was planned before the recent heightened tensions in the region, or whether it is a sign of support for Qatar from the US.

The US' largest military base in the Middle East is located in Qatar with 11,000 troops assigned to the al-Udeid airbase which is the forward headquarters for the US military's Central Command for airstrikes in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, The Emirati ambassador to the US called on Washington to consider the relocation of its airbase in Qatar and to pressure Doha over the accusations of supporting terrorism.

Also on Wednesday, Qatar's Ministry of Defense announced that the country had signed a deal to purchase 36 F-15 fighter jets from the US for $12 billion.

According to an informed source, US War Secretary James Mattis and several Qatar representatives were scheduled to meet on Wednesday for signing the deal for the warplanes.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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