Qatar's offer to donate a luxury plane to the United States is not a personal gift to President Donald Trump but a "government-to-government transaction," the Gulf nation's prime minister has said.
Mr Trump, whose Middle East trip included a stop in Qatar, has faced uproar at home since reports that he was considering using the jet as Air Force One and would potentially continue to use it after leaving office.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani downplayed those concerns, telling CNN in an interview that he did not know why it had become such big news.
"It is a government-to-government transaction. It has nothing to do with personnel, whether it's on the US side or on the Qatari side, it's the Ministry of Defense and Department of Defense," he said, echoing the White House's reaction to the backlash.
Mr al-Thani also dismissed allegations that Qatar is using the gift as a way of influencing President Trump, but rather trying to help solve its US ally's problems.
"Qatar has been always a reliable partner for the US, has been always stepping up to help and support the US, because we believe that this friendship needs to be mutually beneficial for both countries, cannot be a one-way relationship," he said.
In any case, he added, the offer is "still under legal review".
Mr Trump has repeatedly complained of delays and cost overruns in aerospace company Boeing's contract to provide two new Air Force One jets to replace the current ageing models.
Watch: Qatari leader defends Trump jet deal
Under questioning from reporters on Monday, Mr Trump angrily defended the arrangement with Qatar, saying he would be "stupid" not to accept such a gift.
But the plan raised major ethical questions, as the US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts "from any King, Prince or foreign State".
It has also raised deep security concerns about using a plane donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive Air Force One.
The jet is designed to serve as a mobile command centre for the president in case of an attack on the US.
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