The US State Department has approved the potential sale of a $1bn anti-drone system to Qatar, the pentagon said on Tuesday.

“This proposed sale will 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,” the statement said.

Qatar has announced its first major gas deal with Germany, as countries in western and central Europe attempt to move away from reliance on Russian gas.

Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said on Tuesday that up to two million tons of Qatari liquefied natural gas per year would be transported to Germany beginning in 2026.

The gas contract is set for 15 years, while QatarEnergy, a state-run company, is eyeing other gas deals with European countries.

Qatar’s state firm QatarEnergy signed on Monday the longest-term contract in the history of the LNG industry in a deal to supply LNG to Chinese state energy giant Sinopec for 27 years.

(Photo credit: Mohammed Hamoud/AA)

The Entesaf Organization for the Protection of Women and Children’s Rights said in a statement on 20 November that the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Yemen has resulted in the killing and injury of over 8,000 Yemeni minors.

The chief of US Armed Forces Central Command called the development of “enemy drones” the greatest technological threat to regional security. That is why US drones with “artificial intelligence” are said to be patrolling the area.

Prince Andrew took a secret trip to Bahrain last week in order to try and secure a role as an intermediary between the West and Gulf states during the energy crisis, sources have claimed. The Duke of York reportedly flew on a private jet, owned by a Swiss billionaire, to the country. The Prince also has been “close” with the royal family of the country, sources said, and stayed in an extremely luxurious hotel while he was there.