Iran calls for release of three pilots allegedly held in Qatar

Iranian authorities have called for the release of three Iranian pilots allegedly captured by Qatari forces during the Middle East conflict, according to General Mohammad Bagherzadeh of the Iranian armed forces, as reported by Fars news agency. The three pilots, Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian, were captured alive after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed while participating in the war, General Bagherzadeh stated in a letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The letter, signed by General Bagherzadeh, expressed concern over the pilots' detention, emphasizing that they have not been permitted to communicate with their families. In a separate development, Iran's army announced the retrieval of the body of Iranian pilot Majid Kazemi, who perished during an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early March.

Prior to this incident, Iran had claimed that the other two pilots were missing. The Al Udeid base in Qatar, a key facility of US Central Command (CENTCOM), houses various US military assets in the region and has recently returned from an extended combat mission in West Asia.