Iran says Qatar holds three pilots from March attack on US base; Doha denies

Iran's claim and ICRC appeal

Iran announced on August 15 that three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 aircraft crashed on March 2 during an attack on a US base in Qatar. General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, head of Iran's Armed Forces Missing Persons Search Committee, identified the three airmen as Javad Salehi, Abdolmazid Dastian, and Omran Behravesian. In a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), reported by Fars news agency, Bagherzadeh stated that the pilots are held by Qatari forces and that the Qatari government has not permitted them to meet or communicate with their families and Iranian authorities.

“Javad Salehi, Abdolmazid Dastian and Omran Behravesian are held by the forces of Qatar and the government of Qatar has not yet allowed them to meet or come into contact with their families and the authorities.”

Bagherzadeh called on the ICRC to intervene directly with the detained pilots and facilitate their release.

“to meet the Iranian pilots as soon as possible, to be informed about the state of their health and to facilitate their release.”

The letter represents Iran's first explicit assertion that the three pilots, previously classified as missing, are alive and in Qatari custody. Tehran is now demanding their release through the intermediary of the Red Cross.

Qatar's denial

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari rejected the claims categorically in a post on X, expressing surprise at what he called misleading statements from Tehran.

“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots and we are surprised by these misleading statements (...) while diplomatic efforts and initiatives to de-escalate tensions in the region continue.”

Al Ansari provided a different account of the March 2 incident. He said the pilots violated Qatari airspace and failed to respond to communication attempts by Qatari authorities. Search and rescue teams later located the body of one of the pilots, according to Al Ansari, and Qatar had contacted Iran to coordinate the handover of the remains. He emphasized that Tehran has not yet responded to a Qatari invitation to examine details of the operations, leaving the exchange of information incomplete.

Background of the March incident

The dispute traces back to an Iranian attack in early March against the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar. On March 2, the Su-24 aircraft flown by the Iranian pilots crashed during the operation. In late July, the Iranian army announced it had recovered the body of pilot Majid Kazemi, who was killed during the attack. At that time, Iranian authorities stated that three other pilots remained missing after the operation, without specifying that they had been captured.

The August 15 announcement is the first time Iran has explicitly claimed the three missing pilots are alive and held by Qatar. Qatar's counter-narrative, citing airspace violations and the recovery of one pilot's body, leaves the fate of the three named airmen unresolved.