What are Iran’s Su-24 jets?: The Su-24 Fencer is a Soviet-designed supersonic swing-wing strike aircraft. Iran operates roughly 24-30 airframes acquired after the 1979 revolution, using them as a primary fixed-wing ground-attack platform alongside ageing F-4 and F-14 jets.
Were Iranian Su-24 jets shot down in 2026?: Yes. Qatar’s air force shot down two Iranian Su-24 attack aircraft during Gulf defensive operations in March 2026, the first time a Gulf state has destroyed Iranian military aircraft in combat.Source: Lowdown
Where does Iran base its Su-24 aircraft?: Iran’s Su-24s are primarily based at Shahid Nojeh Air Base near Hamedan in western Iran. That base was one of the launch sites for Iran’s April 2024 attack on Israel and was subsequently targeted in concentrated IDF strikes.Source: Lowdown
How does Iran’s Su-24 compare to its missiles and drones?: The Su-24 is Iran’s most vulnerable strike platform: it is decades old, spares-starved under sanctions, and requires trained pilots who face modern air defence. Iran’s Ballistic Missiles and drones are cheaper, harder to intercept, and do not risk trained crew.
Can Iran replace the Su-24s it lost?: Replacement is extremely difficult. US and EU sanctions have blocked aircraft imports and spares since 1979. Iran has no domestic equivalent and no access to current-generation strike aircraft. The fleet will continue to shrink as combat losses and attrition accumulate.

Background

The Su-24 Fencer is a Soviet-era supersonic, variable-sweep-wing strike aircraft developed in the 1960s and delivered to Iran after the 1979 revolution. Iran acquired roughly 30 airframes, making them a core component of the Iranian Air Force’s fixed-wing strike capability alongside ageing F-4 Phantoms and F-14 Tomcats inherited from the Shah’s era.

During the 2026 Iran-Israel-US Conflict, two Iranian Su-24s were shot down by the Qatar Air Force during Gulf defensive operations, the first time a Gulf state has destroyed Iranian military aircraft in combat. The Shahid Nojeh Air Base near Hamedan, a principal Su-24 operating base and one of the launch sites used in Iran’s April 2024 attack on Israel, subsequently became the focus of concentrated IDF strikes.

The Su-24’s loss over Qatar exposed the limits of Iran’s conventional airpower: the aircraft are decades old, spares-starved under sanctions, and now operating against modern air defence networks. Their destruction signals that Iran’s manned strike capacity may degrade faster than its Ballistic missile or drone inventory, reshaping the conflict’s air balance.

Source Material

Sukhoi Su-24 — Wikipedia Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Attack Aircraft — Air Force Technology How Iran absorbed Iraq's air force in 1991

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Iran has operated Su-24s as a frontline strike asset since the 1980s, relying on them for deep-strike roles that ballistic missiles cannot fill. Their loss in Qatari airspace marks the first confirmed combat destruction of Iranian fast jets by a Gulf state.

Qatar

Qatar has historically avoided direct confrontation with Iran, sharing the world’s largest gas field across their maritime border. The Su-24 shootdowns represent a sharp escalation, signalling that Gulf states will defend their airspace regardless of diplomatic consequences.

Israel

Israel has tracked Iran’s Su-24 fleet as a potential strike platform capable of reaching Israeli territory. Concentrated IDF strikes on Shahid Nojeh air base targeted the aircraft’s primary operating base, seeking to remove the threat before Iran could reconstitute the fleet.

United States

US planners have long assessed Iran’s manned aviation as the weakest leg of its strike triad behind missiles and drones. The Su-24 losses confirm that assessment, but also reveal that Iran was willing to commit conventional aircraft to a conflict it knew it could not win in the air.