Iran has appealed for the release of three of its fighter pilots, whom it claims were taken into custody by Qatar after their aircraft were shot down by air defense systems during the early stages of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran. In a letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Iran’s Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh stated that pilots Javad Salehi, Abdul Majid Dastiyan, and Emran Behrosiyan have been held for six months. The letter also noted that the body of a fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, who died on March 2, 2026, the third day of the war, has been returned to Iran.
Qatar has categorically denied Iran’s claims, describing them as “false” and expressing surprise at the allegations. According to General Bagherzadeh, the three pilots ejected from their fighter jets amid a military operation targeting Qatar’s military base and were subsequently taken into custody by Qatari forces. The letter published in Iranian media, addressed to the head of the ICRC, accused Qatar of “violating international legal norms and the inalienable rights of these detainees.”
The letter also states that the three pilots have been denied access to contact or meet with their families. Majid Mohammad Al Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that they had reached out to the pilots in response to violations of Qatari airspace but received no reply. “In accordance with international law, we have taken necessary measures to protect our territorial integrity,” he wrote on the social media platform X. Al Ansari further added that Qatar’s search and rescue teams have fulfilled their duties by searching for the “remains of the pilots.”
He noted that Qatar is in contact with Iran to arrange the handover of the remains of one pilot found. However, there has been no response from Tehran regarding the invitation to review the search and rescue operation. Meanwhile, commercial flights have resumed at Bandar Abbas, a southern port city in Iran, which had frequently been subjected to U.S. attacks during the conflict. Since the attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, the ongoing conflict remains unstable.
