Qatar Refutes Iran's Claim It Is Holding Downed Pilots
Qatar said it has not detained Iranian fighter pilots and is cooperating with Iran to return the remains of one crew member, while Tehran continues to request access for an investigation.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Saturday that search and rescue teams recovered the remains of one Iranian pilot after a combat incident and that the Qatari authorities have contacted Iran to arrange a handover. The spokesperson added that Tehran has not yet responded to an invitation to discuss details of its operations.
Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted a senior military official claiming that three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after ejecting from fighter jets during a mission targeting a Qatari military base. The Iranian side has asked Qatar to allow an Iranian fact-finding team to investigate the pilots' fate, and the commander of Iran's Committee for the Search for Missing Persons has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene.
Qatar denied the allegations, stating it is not holding any pilots and is prepared to cooperate with any legitimate inquiry. No official response from Iran has been reported as of the latest statements.