Qatar denied reports that Iranian pilots had been detained by Qatari forces, calling the allegations misleading and saying they had surfaced at a sensitive time amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari, said in a post on X that authorities had established contact with the pilots after they allegedly breached Qatari airspace and confirmed their targeting trajectory.
“We categorically deny the claims that have been circulated regarding the detention of Iranian pilots, and we are surprised by these misleading statements at this specific timing,” Al-Ansari said.
He said Qatari authorities had attempted to communicate with the pilots but received no response. They then followed the rules of engagement and took “the necessary measures” to defend Qatari territory in accordance with international law.
Al-Ansari said Qatar had also clarified the matter through official channels at the time. On the search and rescue efforts, he said Qatari teams searched for the pilots’ remains and later coordinated with Iran to hand over the remains of one pilot who was found.
“Qatari search and rescue teams, which possess global efficiency and expertise, fulfilled their duty to the fullest in searching for the pilots’ remains,” he said.
Qatar further said it had invited an Iranian team in April to visit and review details of the search and rescue operations. However, according to Al-Ansari, the Iranian side has not responded to the invitation so far.
“Additionally, an invitation was extended for a team to visit and learn about the details of the search and rescue operations last April, to which the Iranian side has not responded to date,” he said.
The denial came after Iranian Fars News Agency reported on Saturday that three military pilots had been captured by Qatari forces after two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets were downed during a March operation against the US base in Qatar.
According to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Bagherzadeh, Commander of the Search Committee for the Missing of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, identified the three pilots as Javad Salehi, Abdol-Majid Dashtian and Emran Behrushian.
Bagherzadeh claimed that the three pilots had been held by Qatari forces for the past six months. He further alleged that the Qatari government had not allowed the pilots to meet one another, be interviewed, or contact their families or Iranian officials pursuing their case.
The Iranian news agency also reported that the official called for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to be granted access to the pilots.
