Iran is continuing efforts to determine the fate of three Air Force pilots who went missing after participating in an operation targeting the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during the recent conflict with the United States and Israel, the Iranian Army said.

Army spokesperson Brig Gen Mohammad Akraminia said Iranian F-5 fighter jets targeted the Al Adiri base in Kuwait, while Su-24 bombers struck the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

He described the Su-24 mission as one of the Iranian Air Force’s most complex operations, saying the aircraft flew at extremely low altitude over the Persian Gulf to evade enemy radar before successfully striking the target.

Akraminia said one of the four pilots involved, Brig Gen Majid Kazemi, was recently identified and buried in his hometown of Shiraz after his body was returned to Iran.

He claimed the returning aircraft was attacked by enemy fighter jets and added the strike inflicted heavy damage on the US base, destroying several helicopters and disabling others.

The spokesperson said the whereabouts of the three remaining pilots remain unknown despite ongoing efforts.

“Qatari authorities have so far said they have no information about our three missing pilots,” Akraminia said, urging Doha to cooperate in clarifying their fate in line with international humanitarian law.

He added that investigations are continuing while Iran has used the ceasefire period to restore damaged military systems, expand its drone capabilities and deploy a new generation of drones, with further details expected to be announced in the coming days.