By Ivan Kesic
In a daring operation that stunned military analysts worldwide, Iranian Air Force pilots penetrated the most sophisticated air defense network in the Persian Gulf to deliver a devastating blow against the US-operated Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The operation was a clear demonstration that Iran’s air power remains a formidable force capable of striking at the very heart of illegal American military presence in the region.
In the opening days of the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran in March, while the world’s attention was consumed by ballistic missile barrages and drone swarms, a remarkable military feat unfolded that would forever alter the strategic calculus of the region.
Two Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force took off from Shahid Doran Air Base in southern Iranian city of Shiraz, embarking on a mission that would pierce the veil of American air superiority and inflict heavy damage upon the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, one of the most heavily fortified US military installations in the world.
The operation, executed in response to brutal and cowardly attacks by the terrorist US military and the child-killing Zionist regime, showcased the exceptional skill and courage of Iranian pilots who crossed advanced surveillance systems and numerous enemy radar positions before delivering their payload with surgical precision.
Months later, the confirmation of Brigadier General Majid Kazemi’s martyrdom through specialized forensic examinations and DNA testing has brought renewed attention to this mission and the fallen heroes who executed it.
Eagle: Portrait of Brig. Gen. Majid Kazemi
General Kazemi, whose martyrdom was confirmed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army on July 29, represented the finest traditions of Iranian military aviation.
As a pilot of the Sukhoi Su-24MK strike aircraft, Iran’s principal long-range tactical strike platform, Martyr Kazemi belonged to one of the Air Force’s most experienced operational communities.
The Su-24, which requires a two-person crew consisting of a pilot and navigator-weapons officer, demands exceptional skill and expertise from those who command it.
Iran acquired approximately thirty Su-24MKs during the early 1990s, including aircraft flown from Iraq during the First Period Gulf War, and the platform remains one of the IRIAF’s primary assets for deep strike, maritime strike, and stand-off precision attack operations.
Despite his senior rank within the Artesh, Martyr Kazemi maintained a remarkably low public profile throughout his career, a characteristic common among operational strike pilots who remain outside the public spotlight until their retirement or martyrdom.
Unlike well-known IRIAF commanders whose careers are extensively documented, Martyr Kazemi’s exemplary service record reflects the quiet professionalism of Iran’s frontline combat aviators.
His association with the Su-24 fleet, primarily based at Shiraz’s 7th Tactical Air Base, indicates that he was among the most experienced pilots in the Iranian Air Force, entrusted with operating the nation’s most capable long-range strike aircraft.
The absence of extensive biographical information in public sources is not unusual for active Iranian Air Force officers, particularly those who never served in highly visible command positions, but rather dedicated their careers to operational flying and the defense of the Islamic homeland.
Operation against Al Udeid: Penetrating the impenetrable
The meticulous operation against American Al Udeid Air Base on March 2, 2026, represented a masterclass in tactical aviation and a stunning validation of Iranian military planning.
Two Su-24 bombers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, responding to unprovoked and illegal US and Israeli attacks, took off from Shahid Doran Air Base in Shiraz in what military commanders described as a “daring operation.”
The aircraft crossed the barrier of advanced reconnaissance systems and numerous enemy radar positions before executing their bombing run against the Al Udeid base in Qatar, which houses US forces and serves as a critical hub for American military operations in the region.
During this attack, heavy damage was inflicted on the American base, demonstrating the precision and effectiveness of Iranian air power.
The Iranian Sky Eagles, as they have come to be known, accomplished their mission with exceptional professionalism, striking at the heart of American military infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.
However, on their return journey over the Persian Gulf, the two aircraft were hit by enemy missile defense systems, and efforts to determine the fate of the four pilots continued for months.
The martyrdom of Brigadier General Kazemi was confirmed through DNA testing, while efforts continue to establish the status of the three remaining pilots from the two Su-24 aircraft.
Iran’s Army Commander Major General Hatami:
🔹 Martyred Pilot Kazemi and his comrades are the true heroes of the Iranian nation.
🔹 The sky of Iran is the arena of valor of men who have made their lives a shield for the nation. pic.twitter.com/7RY4rx90oV
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) July 29, 2026
Strategic choice: Manned aircraft over missiles and drones
The decision to employ manned Su-24 strike aircraft rather than relying exclusively on Iran’s extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones reflected sophisticated operational planning and an intimate understanding of the tactical requirements of the Al Udeid mission.
While Iran possesses a formidable array of precision-guided missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, there are limitations when the objective is the destruction of aircraft on the ground at a heavily fortified airbase.
Targeting combat active aircraft dispersed across a vast airfield requires real-time intelligence, rapid retargeting capability, and the ability to confirm battle damage assessment – capabilities that manned aircraft uniquely provide.
Missile and drone strikes, even when supported by real-time satellite imagery, inherently take more time to plan, program, and execute, particularly against mobile targets or aircraft that may be scrambled or relocated in response to incoming threats.
The Su-24 pilots, by contrast, could assess the tactical situation in real-time, adapt to changing circumstances, and ensure that their ordnance achieved maximum effect against high-value enemy targets.
Furthermore, the psychological impact of manned aircraft penetrating the most sophisticated air defense network in the region cannot be overstated. It sent an unmistakable message that Iranian air power remained not only operational but capable of offensive action at the very heart of American military power.
The strike also used the confusion created by the broader Iranian retaliatory campaign, with missile barrages and drone swarms saturating American defenses across multiple regional countries, creating windows of opportunity that the Su-24 pilots exploited with exceptional skill.
Iran’s acting Defense Minister, Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Ibn Al-Reza, says that martyred Pilot Kazemi was one of the eagles of Iran’s skies and a student of the school of dignity, sacrifice, and loyalty. pic.twitter.com/HaKpM6vCIn
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) July 29, 2026
Campaign expands: Similar operations across the Persian Gulf
The strike on Al Udeid was not an isolated operation but part of a coordinated Iranian air campaign that demonstrated the reach and capability of the Islamic Republic’s Air Force.
In a parallel operation that similarly stunned military analysts, an Iranian fighter jet successfully evaded layered American and allied air defense systems to strike Camp Buehring in Kuwait, marking the first time a fixed-wing aircraft had bombed a major American military base since the Korean War.
The aircraft, likely a HESA Kowsar, an indigenous Iranian derivative of the F-5 platform representing nearly four decades of domestic aerospace engineering, flew at extremely low altitude across the Persian Gulf, remaining below the radar horizon of Patriot missile batteries and other ground-based interception systems.
The distance from southwestern Iran to Kuwait made the mission feasible for the fighter jet’s range, and the pilot employed a low-altitude approach profile that exploited the fundamental limitations of radar coverage.
By flying at only a few dozen meters above the water surface, the aircraft remained invisible to ground-based systems until it was almost directly over the target, leaving insufficient time for any defensive response.
The Kowsar, with its modern digital cockpit, multi-purpose fire control radar, and indigenous avionics systems, demonstrated that Iran’s investment in reverse-engineering and upgrading legacy platforms had paid extraordinary dividends.
This attack, confirmed by US officials speaking to American media, shattered the illusion of American air superiority and demonstrated that Iran’s air force remains a potent and dangerous force capable of striking the very heart of American military power in the region.
Technological foundation: Iran’s indigenous aerospace achievement
The astounding success of Iranian air operations during the early days of the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran reflects decades of patient investment in indigenous aerospace capabilities, pursued despite severe sanctions and technological isolation.
The story of Iranian self-sufficiency in fighter manufacturing began in the aftermath of the imposed war in the 1980s, when Iranian engineers initiated a program to reverse-engineer the F-5 Tiger II, recognizing that the relatively simple design offered a feasible pathway to indigenous fighter production.
This effort culminated in the HESA Kowsar, unveiled in 2018 with an impressive 88 percent localization rate, achieving complete self-sufficiency in structural construction and wiring while reaching approximately 90 percent in avionics systems.
The Kowsar features a modern digital cockpit with head-up displays replacing old analog instruments, a multi-purpose fire control radar developed specifically for the platform, radar warning receivers, identification friend-or-foe systems, weapons processors, chaff and flare launchers, and new-generation tactical navigation systems combining inertial navigation and laser GPS.
The propulsion system consists of two turbojet engines that are Iranianized versions of the General Electric J-85, with 90 percent of components produced domestically, enabling the aircraft to reach a flight ceiling of 13,700 meters and a maximum speed of Mach 1.5.
The development of the Kowsar engaged ten Iranian universities, 72 contracting companies, 44 supplier companies, and 63 knowledge-based enterprises, creating employment for approximately 4,000 people.
This represents not merely a military achievement but a national industrial mobilization that has positioned Iran as the first Islamic country capable of designing and building a modern fighter jet.
Human element: Pilot skill and operational art
Beyond the technological achievements that enabled these operations, the human element remains the most critical factor in Iran’s military success.
Iranian pilots have been flying F-5 derivatives and Su-24s for decades, developing deep expertise in their platforms’ handling characteristics and tactical employment.
The pilots who bombed Al Udeid and Camp Buehring demonstrated exceptional skill in navigating at extremely low altitude over water and terrain, maintaining precise navigation, and executing bomb runs against defended targets protected by multiple layers of air defenses.
These were not suicide missions. The careful and meticulous planning and egress routes indicated high confidence that the experienced pilots knew their aircraft, knew their enemy’s vulnerabilities, and knew they could accomplish their missions and return home.
The Iranian military philosophy that prioritizes simplicity, self-sufficiency, and the courage of personnel over technological one-upmanship with Western military powers has proven remarkably effective.
While the United States and its allies pursue ever more complex and expensive platforms costing upwards of $100 million per unit, Iran has chosen a different path: taking proven, relatively simple airframes and systematically upgrading them with indigenous avionics, sensors, and weapons.
This approach is not born of necessity alone but reflects a strategic understanding that military effectiveness depends less on raw technological sophistication than on the integration of platforms into coherent operational concepts and the exceptional skill of the men who fly them.
The Iranian Sky Eagles who struck at Al Udeid and Camp Buehring have written a new chapter in the history of aerial warfare, demonstrating that courage, skill, and strategic innovation remain decisive factors in combat, regardless of technological disparities.
