In a dramatic turn of events, Iranian warplanes reportedly came perilously close to launching an attack on a U.S. base housing 10,000 troops, only to be thwarted by quick action from Qatari fighter jets. This near-crisis unfolded as Iranian aircraft were within mere minutes of reaching their target, according to a detailed report by CNN.
The incident involved two Soviet-era Su-24 tactical bombers dispatched by Iran early on a Monday morning. These planes were headed toward the strategic al-Udeid Air Base, as well as the crucial Ras Laffan natural gas processing facility. Al-Udeid, the largest American base in the Middle East, is a pivotal hub for U.S. military operations, hosting the US Central Command, the US Air Force’s Central Command, and the RAF’s 83rd Expeditionary Air Group.
CNN’s sources revealed that the Iranian aircraft were equipped with bombs and guided munitions, and were flying at a dangerously low altitude of just 80 feet. This tactic was presumably employed to evade radar detection and amplify the element of surprise.
Upon spotting the Iranian planes and failing to establish communication, Qatari forces swiftly deployed an F-15 fighter jet. This decisive action resulted in the swift downing of the hostile aircraft, averting a potentially devastating strike on the U.S. base.
They are said to have been flying at an altitude of just 80ft to avoid radar detection.
After the Qataris radioed the planes and received no response, they scrambled an F-15 fighter jet that downed the two planes.
The US news outlet reported that the planes crashed into Iranian waters.
Qatar, along with other Gulf states, have been dragged into the bloody war in the Middle East.
According to sources from CNN , Iran sent two Soviet-era Su-24 tactical bombers toward al-Udeid Air Base on Monday morning (File image of an Iranian Su-24)
Motorists drive along an expressway as plumes of smoke rise after a strike in Tehran on March 5, 2026
Many of them host Western bases on their soil, making them targets for the Iranian regime.
The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council today called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, while reiterating that Gulf countries have the right to defend themselves against Iran.
‘The ministers reiterated their commitment to regional stability and called for protection of civilians and full respect of international law,’ the EU and GCC said in a joint statement issued after a videoconference of European and Gulf foreign ministers.
‘The ministers reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as means to resolve the crisis,’ they said, adding that they agreed on ‘joint diplomatic efforts to bring about a lasting solution’ to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and ‘ultimately allow the Iranian people to determine their future’.
The war in the Middle East has blocked access to major ports in the Gulf region, impacting the supply of food to over 50million people in a region which imports over 90 per cent of its food, a ship-spotting platform said on Thursday.
MarineTraffic.com said that container vessels heading to ports in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait are now stranded.
As Western interests face significant risk, France, Italy and Greece agreed to coordinate deployment of military assets to Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The three countries will work together to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, according to a French diplomat.
A man carries an injured woman at the site of US-Israeli airstrikes in Tehran, Iran, on Monday
The decision was announced Thursday after French President Emmanuel Macron called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The diplomat spoke anonymously in line with government practices.
Meanwhile, Italy heightened its national air-defence systems on Thursday and said it will send naval support to Cyprus and anti-missile and anti-drone defence systems to Gulf countries that have come under retaliatory strikes from Iran.
The United States hasn’t yet asked to use any of the US bases in Italy for logistical or other operations in its war against Tehran. But if it does, the government will inform Parliament, Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday.
The United States has more than 12,000 military personnel on bases across Italy, including army bases in Vicenza and Livorno, the air force bases at Aviano, home to the 31st Fighter Wing, the naval air station at Sigonella in Sicily, and ports at Gaeta and Naples, home to the US Sixth Fleet.
