‘They were being held on water’: Iran says detained pilots in ‘poor physical condition’

Iranian officials are urging Qatar to move detained pilots currently held on a water-filled site to a hospital on solid ground, citing the airmen's deteriorating health, a senior military official said. Mohammad Baqerzadeh, head of Iran's Armed Forces committee overseeing missing personnel, described the pilots' condition as "poor physical condition" and demanded an air ambulance from the International Committee of the Red Cross to speed their return to Iran.

Qatar dismissed last week's reports that it held the pilots, claiming they had violated Qatari airspace and had not responded to contact attempts. Doha stated it had coordinated with Iran for the transfer of one pilot's remains and invited Tehran to review its rescue operations, but Iran has yet to respond. Baqerzadeh welcomed Qatar's invitation for Iranian experts to investigate, urging Doha to cooperate fully in the inquiry.