ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - No Iranian pilots are being held as prisoners of war in Qatar, the Qatari foreign ministry said late Saturday, adding that Doha is still awaiting Tehran’s response to retrieve the remains of a single pilot killed during the nearly six week-long war of the US and Israel against Iran. This came after Iran claimed that the Gulf state is keeping three pilots hostage.
“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region,” Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry, said in a statement on X.
Ansari added that “the pilots concerned” were informed about violating Qatari airspace. “After following the rules of engagement & attempting to communicate with them without receiving a response, the necessary measures were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law.”
However, he noted that the remains of one pilot had been recovered, stating that the handover had been “communicated to the Iranian side.” Doha had already issued an invitation for a briefing on the “details of the search & rescue operations,” to which Iran has yet to respond.
The Qatari official’s remarks came after Mohammad Bagherzadeh, the head of a committee for missing personnel in the Iranian armed forces, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), saying Tehran has “credible information” about three Iranian pilots “captured alive by Qatari forces.”
Bagherzadeh identified the pilots as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian, according to a statement relayed by the Iranian state media, IRNA.
He noted that in addition to a killed soldier, “others remained in Qatar after their fighter jets were hit and they were forced to eject.”
“Despite all diplomatic and follow-up efforts, Doha has not allowed the prisoners to meet with, interview, or contact their families and authorities,” the Iranian military commander claimed in the letter to the ICRC, noting that prisoners of war “have the right to submit complaints and requests to representatives - including those of the Red Cross - who visit their camps, or to hold discussions and negotiations.”
Qatar’s military in early March announced shooting down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers during an attack on the Al Udeid Air Base - the largest US base in the Middle East.
Iran in late July identified a killed pilot as Majid Kazemi and confirmed the receipt of his body “within hours,” while underscoring continued efforts to determine the fate of three other crewmembers.
The Al Udeid base includes forward components of US Central Command (CENTCOM), as well as the command's air forces and special operations forces.
The fluctuating hostilities between the US and Iran have experienced a cautious pause since late July, after both sides had engaged in a renewed round of tit-for-tat strikes for 13 consecutive days.
Beginning in late February - when the US and Israel attacked Iran - the conflict quickly dragged Gulf countries as they host US military bases.
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