Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Su-24 Shot down

On March 2, 2026, the Qatar Emiri Air Force intercepted and shot down two Iranian Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers flying at approximately 80 feet above the Persian Gulf to evade radar detection. The Su-24s, dispatched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were just two minutes from reaching Al Udeid Air Base — home to 10,000 U.S. service members — and the Ras Laffan gas facility. After radio warnings were ignored, Qatari F-15QA Ababil fighters engaged and destroyed both aircraft. The Su-24 crews crashed into Qatari territorial waters. The engagement marked Qatar's first-ever aerial combat and the first confirmed air-to-air kills for the F-15QA variant.