Military says officer flew mission during March 2025 attack as no further operational details are released
TEHRAN: The IRIAF has confirmed the death of one of its Su-24 fighter pilots, describing him as a “martyr” and linking him to a military operation targeting the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during the regional conflict in March 2025.
According to a statement issued by the Army’s Public Relations Office and reported by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the deceased officer piloted one of the Iranian Su-24 aircraft involved in the operation on March 1 last year.
The military statement claimed the strike inflicted significant damage on Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts US military personnel and serves as a major American military installation in the Gulf region.
Military pays tribute to pilot
The Iranian Army praised the pilot’s service and referred to him as a martyr, a designation commonly used by Iranian authorities for military personnel killed while performing their duties.
However, the statement did not identify the pilot by name or disclose the circumstances surrounding his death. It also provided no additional information regarding the timing or location of his reported martyrdom.
Iranian officials have not announced whether a formal military funeral or public memorial will be held.
Claims remain subject to independent verification
Tasnim News Agency published the Army’s statement approximately six hours before it gained wider attention on social media.
The Iranian military’s assertion that the March 2025 strike caused heavy damage to Al Udeid Air Base has not been independently verified. US and Qatari authorities have not issued a new response in connection with the Army’s latest statement.
Al Udeid Air Base remains one of the largest US military facilities in the Middle East and has played a central role in American operations across the region.
The Army’s announcement comes amid continued regional tensions and follows previous official Iranian statements commemorating military personnel involved in operations during the conflict.
احراز شهادت یکی از قهرمانان سوخو ۲۴ ارتش
روابط عمومی ارتش:
این شهید عزیز خلبان یکی از جنگندههای سوخو ۲۴ ایرانی بود که در جریان حمله ۱۱ اسفند سال گذشته، خسارات سنگینی را به پایگاه العدید آمریکا در کشور قطر وارد کردند pic.twitter.com/QbR9mEVJm7
— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) July 29, 2026
