Iran has demanded the release of three pilots it says were captured by Qatar after two of its fighter jets were struck by air defences during a military operation in early March that marked the opening days of the US‑Iran war. In a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross a senior Iranian commander claimed the pilots—Javad Salehi, Abdul Majid Dashtian and Imran Behroshian—had been held captive for six months, while a fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, was killed and his body returned to Iran.
The Iranian claim was sent to the head of the Red Cross and published by state‑controlled media, accusing Qatar of violating the rights of prisoners in a breach of all international laws. The letter also said the pilots had not been allowed to meet or contact their families.
Qatar’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Majed Mohammed Al Ansari, flatly denied holding the pilots. He said the aircraft were shot down after violating Qatari airspace and that search and rescue teams had worked to locate any remains. Al Ansari added that Qatar had reached out to Tehran to hand over remains of one recovered pilot and had invited an Iranian fact‑finding team to review the outcome of its operations. Tehran has yet to respond to that invitation.
The dispute highlights the tense calculate of the US‑Iran conflict and underlines the importance of the international legal framework governing the treatment of captured military personnel.
