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 undisclosed sources with knowledge of the operation confirmed to CNN that Iranian bombers narrowly missed their intended targets before being intercepted by Qatari aircraft. The incident unfolded on Monday morning, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard sent two Soviet-era Su-24 jets toward al-Udeid Air Base, a major US military hub in the Middle East, and Ras Laffan, a critical natural gas processing site central to Qatar’s economic stability.

According to one source, the Iranian planes were within minutes of their objectives. A second source noted that the aircraft were visually confirmed to be carrying bombs and guided munitions. Qatar issued a radio warning, but the jets did not acknowledge it. They had adjusted their altitude to 80 feet, evading radar detection. With “time constraints” and “available evidence,” the aircraft were deemed hostile, prompting a Qatari air response.

“Qatari fighters for the first time have shot down two Iranian bombers on route to their location,” said US Gen. Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, during a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday.

The Iranian jets crashed into Qatar’s territorial waters, and the country is now searching for the missing crews. This marked the first time Iran used manned aircraft to attack a neighboring nation since the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial wave of strikes on Saturday. It also signified the debut of Qatari air combat capabilities.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, described the event as “escalatory” during a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. “This indicates no genuine desire by Iran to deescalate or find a resolution,” Al Thani stated, per the call’s summary. “Rather, it seeks to inflict harm on its neighbors and draw them into a war that is not theirs.”

Iran’s recent actions have shifted from missile and drone attacks to direct aerial strikes. Since the US-Israeli assault, the country has launched over 400 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones at Arab Gulf states. These attacks targeted urban areas, energy infrastructure, airports, and hotels, unsettling populations accustomed to security. Despite many intercepts, six US service members were killed when an Iranian projectile struck a temporary operations center at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port on Sunday.