In this picture released by the official website of the Iranian Army, a pilot gestures during an air force exercise, in Iran, on Oct. 21, 2021. Iranian Army via AP
The Iranian military claimed on Aug. 15 that three of its pilots are currently being held by Qatar, after they went missing during an offensive mission early in the U.S.–Iran armed conflict.
Iranian Brig. Gen. Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh identified the three missing Iranian pilots in a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Iranian general raised concerns that the government of Qatar has not upheld the pilots’ rights as prisoners of war under international laws and customs.
The Qatari government has since denied the claims.
Bagherzadeh asked the ICRC to visit and assess the health of the Iranian pilots and facilitate their release.
The ICRC is meant to serve as a neutral party in times of conflict, monitoring prisoners of war and supporting other humanitarian efforts in these settings.
Bagherzadeh said the three Iranian pilots in question were flying a combat mission to strike the U.S. military outpost at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on March 2. He described the mission as a response to the joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The three Iranian pilots—identified as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian—were flying a pair of Su-24 tactical jet bombers at the time they were shot down. Bagherzadeh concluded that the three pilots survived the downing of their aircraft and were taken alive by Qatari forces.
The Iranian military previously said that a fourth Iranian pilot attached to the strike mission, Majid Kazemi, was killed.
“Unfortunately, since that date, despite the passage of six months, the Qatari government has disregarded and violated the prisoners’ fundamental rights, contrary to international laws and regulations, including the four Geneva Conventions,” Bagherzadeh said.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari rejected the accusation that Qatar is holding the Iranian pilots captive.
“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region,” Ansari said in a statement shared on social media on Aug. 15.
Ansari said Qatar dispatched search and rescue teams to locate the downed Iranian pilots and located and repatriated the remains of one of the pilots. He said that the Qatari side had also offered to brief the Iranian side on the search efforts in April but that the Iranian side has yet to respond.
The ICRC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
