Iran demands Qatar release three pilots it says were captured in March, as Doha denies holding them
Iran has publicly demanded that Qatar release three fighter pilots Tehran says were captured alive after their Su-24 jets were shot down during a 2 March attack on Al Udeid Air Base, while Qatar categorically denies holding any surviving aircrew.
Iran's claims
Iran's Brig Gen Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said in a letter to ICRC chief Mirjana Spoljaric that three pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 warplanes were downed on 2 March 2026, the third day of the US-Iran war. The pilots were named as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian. Bagherzadeh said the airmen had been held incommunicado for six months without access to their families or diplomatic representatives. He accused Qatar of violating "the inalienable rights of these prisoners, contrary to all international laws and regulations" and urged the ICRC to meet with the pilots, assess their health, and facilitate their release.
A fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, was killed in the same operation, and his remains were returned to Iran. Iran had previously acknowledged that one pilot was killed and others were missing following the mission, but details regarding the alleged capture of the three surviving pilots had not been previously publicised.
Qatar's denial
Qatar's foreign affairs spokesperson Majed Mohammed Al Ansari said on X that Qatar "categorically denied" holding any Iranian pilots and expressed surprise at what he called misleading statements from Iranian officials.
We are surprised by the misleading statements regarding the Iranian pilots amid the continuation of diplomatic efforts.
Al Ansari said Qatari air defence forces had established contact with the aircraft after an unauthorised breach of Qatari airspace in March, but received no response to warnings before engaging the targets. He said the necessary measures were taken to defend Qatari territory in accordance with international law. Qatar's search and rescue teams later recovered the remains of one pilot and contacted Iran to coordinate a handover. Al Ansari added that Tehran had yet to respond to an invitation to review details of the search and rescue operation.
The March incident
The military engagement occurred during an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the region, which hosts US Central Command (CENTCOM) personnel. Qatar's Defence Ministry reported shooting down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers in early March, the first time a Gulf country reported downing Iranian aircraft during the conflict. The interception came amid a broader wave of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf following the outbreak of hostilities on 28 February.
- Outbreak of US-Iran war
- Two Iranian Su-24s shot down over Qatar during attack on Al Udeid Air Base; one pilot killed, three missing
- Ceasefire brokered with Pakistan as mediator temporarily halts major combat
- Peace framework talks collapse, sporadic clashes resume
- Qatar denies holding Iranian pilots, says it found remains of one
- Iran accuses Qatar of delaying probe into pilots' fate
Diplomatic backdrop and latest demands
An April ceasefire, brokered with Pakistan as initial mediator, temporarily halted major combat. Peace framework talks subsequently collapsed in June, leading to sporadic clashes. Speaking to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on 16 August, Bagherzadeh accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots' return to Iran. He said the air force and fact-finding team had been waiting for months to enter Qatar to investigate the pilots' fate, and called for the ICRC to urgently follow up on the case.
