Iran calls for release of pilots captured in Qatar during Middle East war

Iranian authorities have called upon the International Committee of the Red Cross to release three Iranian pilots who were captured by Qatari forces during the Middle East conflict. According to General Mohammad Bagherzadeh of the Iranian armed forces, the pilots - Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian - have been held for six months.

The letter from Bagherzadeh to the ICRC stated that these pilots were not permitted to communicate with their families. Earlier this month, Iran announced the recovery of the body of another Iranian pilot, Majid Kazemi, who perished in an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early March. Prior to this revelation, Iran had not officially disclosed the whereabouts of the other two pilots.

Located in Qatar, Al Udeid Air Base is a key US military installation, housing components of US Central Command, along with their air forces and special operations units - the largest US base in the region. The conflict in the Middle East erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel carried out strikes against Iran, which responded with attacks across the region.

A ceasefire followed on April 1 after nearly 40 days of fighting, leading to peace talks in June, though those negotiations ultimately fell through. Ever since, there have been sporadic incidents of hostility between Iran and the United States, primarily concentrated in southern Iran and the critical Strait of Hormuz. A temporary hiatus in hostilities has been in effect since the end of July.