The United States and Qatar have signed a $12-billion deal for F-15 fighter jets amid the crisis in West Asia on Wednesday. Doha will get 36 jets as part of the agreement, NDTV reported.

The deal was sealed by Qatari Defense Minister Khalid al-Attiyah and his US counterpart, Jim Mattis, in Washington, the Pentagon has confirmed. The sale “will give Qatar a state-of-the-art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar,” said a statement issued by the Defense Department.

Attiyah said the agreement highlights the “longstanding commitment of the state of Qatar in jointly working with our friends and allies in the United States in advancing our military cooperation for closer strategic collaboration in our fight to counter violent extremism and promote peace and stability in our region and beyond”.

He said it was “yet another step in advancing our strategic and cooperative defence relationship with the United States, and we look forward to continuing our joint military efforts with our partners here in the US”.

The Donald Trump administration in May signed a $110bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which has cut ties with Qatar for allegedly supporting terror activities in the region. While Trump himself has accused Qatar of supporting terror, the US has chosen to maintain a neutral stand in the crisis.

The import-dependent nation of Qatar has been isolated, with several countries, including Bahrain, UAE and Egypt, following Saudi Arabia’s lead. While Turkey is supplying dairy goods, fruit and vegetables are being imported from Iran. Kuwait is trying to play the mediator.