Iran says Qatar held three of its pilots since March

Iran on Saturday accused Qatar of detaining three of its military pilots since early March, when their Su-24 fighter jets were shot down during the opening days of the war with the United States and Israel, and appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for help securing their release.

The Pilots' Fate Revealed

Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, head of the Missing in Action Search Committee of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, disclosed in a letter to ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric that three pilots — Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian — have been held by Qatari forces since March 2, when two Su-24 tactical bombers were struck by air defenses while returning from a mission against a U.S. military base in Qatar.nytimes+2

The four crew members ejected from the aircraft, but a fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, was killed. His remains were returned to Iran and buried in the southern city of Shiraz in late July.hurriyetdailynews+1

Bagherzadeh said Qatar "has not permitted the detainees to meet or communicate with their families or with the officials handling the matter," accusing Doha of denying the pilots rights afforded to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. Iranian officials said Qatari authorities had previously told Tehran they had no information about the pilots' whereabouts.ynetnews+2

Broader Context

The disclosure comes amid continued tensions across the Persian Gulf. The U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began on February 28, killing then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases in the region.english.news

Qatar, which hosts a major American military installation, announced on March 2 that its air force had downed two Iranian Su-24 bombers, drawing outrage from Tehran.nytimes

Hormuz Standoff Continues

The pilots' case emerged alongside an escalating dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping remains largely paralyzed by the threat of Iranian attacks. At a rally on Friday, President Trump said he intended to declare the waterway "American territory" after defeating Iran.ynetnews

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected the threat on X, writing that the strait "will open and close only under Iran's control." The United Arab Emirates said Saturday that one of its vessels, belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, was attacked while attempting to cross the strait on Friday — the third reported strike against ADNOC vessels that week.ynetnews

Neither the ICRC nor the Qatari government had immediately responded to Iran's allegations as of Saturday.nytimes+1