U.S. OKs $1B arms sale to Qatar during key World Cup match - Los Angeles Times
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U.S. OKs $1-billion arms sale to Qatar during key World Cup match

The flags of Iran and the United States hang in the stadium during a World Cup match.
The flags of Iran, left, and the United States hang above the stadium during the match between the two countries in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 29, 2022.
(Hassan Ammar / Associated Press)
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The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a $1-billion arms sale to Qatar in a transaction unveiled during halftime of the key World Cup 2022 match in Doha between Iran and the United States.

The State Department announced it had signed off on Qatar’s purchase of 10 defensive drone systems, 200 interceptors and related equipment just as the second half of the U.S.-Iran game began. Qatar, along with other Arab states in the Persian Gulf region, faces threats from Iranian-backed proxies.

The department said in a statement that the sale would “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.”

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It will “improve Qatar’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing electronic and kinetic defeat capabilities against Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Qatar will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and/or services into its armed forces,” the department said.

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