On March 2, 2026, Qatari F-15 fighter jets shot down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft that had entered Qatari airspace without authorization and ignored multiple radio contact attempts. The engagement marked the first air-to-air kill in the history of the Qatari air force. The three identified Iranian pilots, Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian, are reported to have been held by Qatari forces for approximately six months. The incident occurred amid a broader pattern of Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting US military forces in Qatar, including at Al-Udeid Air Base. Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the detainees’ fate, creating a diplomatic standoff between the two nations.
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