Qatar signs $12B fighter jet deal with U.S.

Qatar finalized a $12 billion deal with the United States Wednesday to purchase F-15 fighter jets, NBC reports. Defense News reports the deal originated and was cleared by the State Department last November, initially starting at $21.1 billion.

• Trump last week called on Qatar to "end its funding of terrorism and extremist ideology."
• Trump last month told Qatar's ruling emir: "We are friends, we've been friends for a long time, haven't we?"

Seven countries cut ties with Qatar last week, pinning the U.S. in the crosshairs of the diplomatic crisis, since Qatar houses around 10,000 U.S. troops at the biggest U.S. air base in the Middle East.

Go deeper: Why those countries cut off Qatar