According to a report by Iran International on August 1, 2026, Iran’s Army has reported that the fate of three pilots remains unknown several months after a mission targeting the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia confirmed that four pilots participated in the operation aboard two Su-24 aircraft.
The aircraft successfully struck their target during the mission. However, enemy aircraft hit the jets on their return flight over the Persian Gulf.
This incident has left the status of the missing pilots unresolved despite ongoing efforts to clarify what happened.
According to details shared by sources familiar with the events, a Qatari F-15 engaged the Iranian jets in aerial combat and shot them down when they were approximately two minutes from their targets.
The confrontation unfolded rapidly and resulted in the loss of the aircraft.
Iranian authorities later recovered the body of one pilot, Majid Kazemi, and returned it to Iran for proper honors and family closure.
This recovery provided some resolution for one crew member but highlighted the continued uncertainty surrounding the others.
Akraminia emphasized that Qatar has informed Tehran it possesses no additional information about the three missing pilots.
He called on the Qatari government and military to intensify efforts to determine their fate….See More