Qatar's $400 Million Jet Gift Falls Short of Protection in Iran War
The Trump administration accepted a $400 million Boeing 747-8 from Qatar as a gift for President Donald Trump to serve as a new Air Force One. The jet was delivered in June 2026 and valued at roughly $400 million, but despite the luxurious gift, it offered little protection from Iran's war against the United States.
According to an investigation by The Atlantic, Qatar's energy infrastructure came under direct Iranian attack within weeks of the conflict's outbreak. Doha hosted the largest American military base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base, but this did not prevent it from absorbing direct Iranian retaliation once the wider war began.
The controversy over the plane was soon overtaken by events as US and Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on 28 February 2026. This ignited what is now referred to as the 2026 Iran war, which widened its retaliation beyond Israel and the United States to Gulf states it accused of enabling the campaign.
Qatar's Ministry of Defence confirmed that drones launched from Iran struck energy facilities inside the country, though it reported no casualties. QatarEnergy, the state-owned producer, said it was forced to halt liquefied natural gas output at its Ras Laffan and Mesaieed complexes after the strikes.