Qatar denied detaining three Iranian pilots following the incident involving the aircraft
Qatar has categorically denied Iran’s claim that three Iranian pilots were captured after air defense forces shot down two aircraft during a combat mission at a Qatari military base, according to BBC News.
Iran has called for the release of the pilots, who, it claims, were taken prisoner after ejecting from their aircraft. Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, in a letter to Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated that Javad Salehi, Abdul Majid Dashtian, and Imran Behroshian have been held captive for six months.
In the letter, which was published by Iranian media, Bagherzadeh also claims that the pilots have not been allowed to meet or contact their families. He accused Qatar of violating their inalienable rights in contravention of international laws and norms.
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According to Bagherzadeh, the body of the fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, was returned to Iran after he was killed during that same operation on March 2, 2026—the third day of the war between the U.S. and Iran. Iran stated that two Su-24 aircraft were involved in the mission.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Mohammed al-Ansari, said that Qatar attempted to establish contact with the pilots after they, according to him, violated the country’s airspace, but received no response. He stated that the country had taken the necessary measures to protect its territory in accordance with international law.
According to al-Ansari, Qatari search-and-rescue teams took all necessary steps to locate the pilots’ remains. Qatar reached out to Iran to coordinate the transfer of one of the pilots’ remains and also invited Tehran to review the details of the search-and-rescue operation. According to Doha, Iran has not yet responded to this invitation.
