A group of Iranian Air Force F-5 fighter jet pilots recounted the operation in an interview, offering their first public account of the strike on the US military base in Kuwait during the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.
The commander of the operation said that after learning hours later that the country had come under foreign attack, planning for an assault on Camp Buehring immediately began.
He said the pilots launched the mission by flying at extremely low altitude and pledged among themselves to carry it through.
“We flew at very low altitude. At some points we passed beneath high-voltage power lines and flew below 50 feet,” he said.
The commander added that the pilots were aware the target was protected by layered air defense systems.
“Although we knew interception and surveillance sites were active, we maintained complete radio silence. We entered the waters of some neighboring countries and flew so low that at one point we passed between two ships,” he said.
According to the commander, the formation entered Kuwaiti airspace at high speed and reached the base, where the pilots carried out a heavy bombardment using unguided free-fall bombs that required direct approach to the target before release.
He noted that the pilots witnessed American helicopters being destroyed during the strike.
The pilot further said the scale of destruction exceeded expectations and described extensive fires at the site.
He also stated that the strike created confusion among enemy forces and noted that Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly targeted three American F-15 fighter jets. According to him, Iranian forces conducted a deception operation that prevented pursuit and enabled the aircraft to land successfully at a predetermined location.
The commander added that the incident angered US President Donald Trump because of what he described as the air defense error.
Another pilot involved in the operation said that as long as he could maintain visual contact after the strike, he observed American military equipment being destroyed.
He said all Iranian Air Force personnel had been grieving for students martyred in a school in the southern city of Minab during attacks by the US and the Israeli regime and added that no one had been concerned about shortages of equipment.
“We never assumed we would return,” he said.
Concluding the account, the operation commander said the mission lasted a total of 50 minutes and that only a limited number of people had been aware of it beforehand.
“Iran and the Iranian people are our first priority and our own lives come last. If necessary, we will strike the enemy again,” he added.