Exclusive: Iranian bombers were ‘two minutes’ from striking US air base before Qatari planes shot them down
Exclusive: Iranian bombers were ‘two minutes’ from striking US air base before Qatari planes shot them down
Two individuals with knowledge of the operation confirmed to CNN that Iranian aircraft were close to reaching their targets when Qatari fighters intercepted them. The incident occurred on Monday, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard sending two Soviet-era Su-24 bombers toward al-Udeid Air Base, a major U.S. military hub in the Middle East, and Ras Laffan, a vital natural gas processing site in Qatar. One source stated the jets were just minutes away from their destinations.
A second source noted that the planes were observed and documented carrying bombs and precision-guided weapons. Qatar had attempted to alert the Iranian aircraft via radio communication, but the bombers did not acknowledge the warning. The Iranian planes descended to an altitude of 80 feet to bypass radar detection, according to the second source. With limited time and available data, the aircraft were deemed hostile, prompting Qatari fighter jets to engage them in a direct aerial confrontation. The result was the downing of both bombers, which crashed into Qatar’s territorial waters. A search is ongoing for the crews.
“This incident is escalatory and signals a lack of commitment to deescalation or resolving tensions,” said Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. “It shows Iran’s intent to harm its neighbors and pull them into a conflict that isn’t theirs.”
Iran’s use of manned aircraft in this manner marks the first time it has targeted a neighboring country since the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Saturday’s initial attacks on his Tehran residence. The operation is also the first instance of Qatari air forces engaging in air-to-air combat. U.S. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged the event in a Pentagon briefing, stating, “Qatari fighters for the first time have shot down two Iranian bombers on route to their location.”
Typically, Iran’s retaliation has involved missiles or drones, but this mission stood out for its use of manned jets. Regional governments report over 400 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones have been launched toward Arab Gulf states since the U.S.-Israeli strikes. These attacks have targeted urban areas, energy infrastructure, and key facilities, unsettling populations long accustomed to stability. Despite many intercepts, six U.S. service members were killed when an Iranian projectile bypassed defenses and struck a temporary operations center at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port on Sunday.