Iran demands release of downed pilots as Qatar denies holding them

Iran on Saturday demanded that Qatar release three of Tehran’s pilots whose aircraft went down early in the Middle East war, though the Gulf state denied it was detaining them.

Iran had previously reported one pilot killed and others missing after a sortie to Qatar in March, but news of their alleged capture was not publicised at the time.

“Three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during the war,” said General Mohammad Bagherzadeh of the Iranian armed forces, Fars news agency reported.

“Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian have been held by Qatari forces for six months,” he said in a letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In the letter, Bagherzadeh called for their release, saying the pilots had not been allowed to meet or contact their families.

In response, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said on X: “We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements.”

Qatar rescuers “carried out their duties to the fullest” searching for the pilots, he added.

It had “communicated with the Iranian side to coordinate the handover of the remains of one of the pilots who was found”, said Ansari.

“Qatar also issued an invitation for an Iranian team to visit the Qatar to be briefed on the details of the search & rescue operations in April, but the Iranian side has yet to respond to the invitation,” he added.

– Pilot’s body retrieved –

Last month, Iran’s military said it had retrieved the body of pilot Majid Kazemi, killed during an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early March.

The Al Udeid base includes forward components of US Central Command (CENTCOM), as well as the command’s air forces and special operations forces.

It is the largest US base in the region.

In early March, Qatar’s defence ministry said it had downed two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers.

It was not clear, however, if they were the same ones, as it and nations across the region weathered retaliatory attacks for the US and Israeli strikes that kicked off the war.

It was the first time a Gulf country had reported shooting down an Iranian plane since the war broke out on February 28.

Diplomatic efforts led to an April ceasefire, ending nearly 40 days of fighting, before the signing of a framework for peace talks in June, which later collapsed.

Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar also came under fire after the truce broke down, reporting attacks on its territory and at least one Qatari tanker transiting the strait.

They took place even as Qatar stepped up its efforts to broker a negotiated end to the conflict alongside initial mediator Pakistan.

The fighting between the US and Iran has been in a lull since late July, though sporadic attacks on vessels in the Hormuz have continued.