Iranian commander claims Qatar holding three Iranian pilots captured early in the war

• Iran claims three military pilots whose aircraft were shot down over Qatar have been held by Qatari authorities for months.
• The allegation marks the first reported accusation by Tehran that Qatar is holding the pilots.

Three Iranian military pilots whose aircraft were shot down while attempting to target a US military base in Qatar have been held by the Gulf state for months, Iranian military commander Seyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh claimed in a letter to the Red Cross, according to Iranian media.

Bagherzadeh said two Iranian Su-24 bombers were shot down after targeting the US military base in Qatar. Three pilots ejected from the aircraft, while one was killed, he said, without providing evidence for the claims.

According to Bagherzadeh, Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Beh Rowshia were captured by Qatari forces and have not been allowed visits or meetings despite what he described as “diplomatic efforts.”

The claim appears to be the first time Iran has accused Qatar of holding the pilots. Just two weeks earlier, the Iranian military said it was still trying to determine their fate.

Qatar has not publicly confirmed the detention of the pilots. A request for comment was sent to the Qatari government.

CNN reported in March, citing two sources briefed on the operation, that Qatari military aircraft shot down two Iranian Su-24s.

The sources said Qatar issued a warning over radio but received no response from the Iranian aircraft. Due to “time constraints” and based on available evidence, the jets were classified as hostile, according to one source.

Qatar then scrambled fighter aircraft, with a Qatari F-15 engaging the Iranian jets in aerial combat before shooting them down, the sources said.

The Iranian claims regarding the pilots’ detention and the circumstances surrounding the shootdown have not been independently verified.