Iran war: Qatar denies holding missing Iranian fighter pilots
Tehran said the three pilots "were captured alive" by Qatari forces after their fighter jets were shot down in the early days of the US-Israel war with Iran. Qatar has denied Iran's claims.
Qatar has firmly denied allegations that it is holding three missing Iranian fighter pilot crew members who went missing after their aircraft were downed early in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Responding through its spokesperson Majed Al Ansari on X, Qatar categorically refuted the claims circulating about the detention of the pilots.
The Qatari foreign ministry spokesman expressed surprise at the misleading statements and added that the remains of one of the pilots had been found. However, he noted that Tehran has not responded to Qatar's invitation to coordinate a handover of the remaining pilots. The denial comes after Iranian media published a statement from Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian - the alleged detainees - claiming they have been held by Qatari forces for six months.
The general further alleged that Qatar had barred the pilots from contacting or meeting with families or Iranian officials handling their cases, requesting assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross to follow up on their fate. Iran's response to the US-Israeli attacks in late February included strikes on US military facilities in the Gulf.
On March 2, the third day of the war, Qatar's Defense Ministry claimed it had downed two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers, though it is unclear if the jets were piloted by the crew Iran claims are detained in Qatar. Qatar had previously condemned Iran for recklessly targeting its territory.
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