A rare confrontation between Iran and Qatar over the fate of three Iranian pilots missing since the war: A senior Iranian military official claimed Saturday that the three survived the downing of their aircraft in March, were captured alive, and have been held by Qatari forces ever since. Doha denied the claims and called them “misleading.”
2+Mohammad Baqerzadeh, who heads the committee for locating missing persons at Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, claimed the three pilots were among four crew members aboard two Iranian Su-24 jets shot down during fighting in March. According to him, the three were captured alive and have been held in Qatar for about six months. The pilots Iran claims are being held by Qatar are Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Bahrouyan. Baqerzadeh added that since the incident, the three have not been allowed to contact their families or meet with Iranian officials handling their case.
2+Iran also approached the International Committee of the Red Cross demanding it work to clarify the three’s status. According to Baqerzadeh, under the Third Geneva Convention, the organization’s representatives must be allowed to meet them, check their health, and work toward their release. Until now, Iran presented a different version regarding the pilots’ fate. Earlier this month, an Iranian military spokesman said Qatar claims it has no information about the three missing crew members, and called on Doha to work to clarify their fate.
Qatar Denies: “Misleading Statements”
Doha rejected the Iranian claim. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari denied that the three pilots are being held captive in the country. “We are surprised by these misleading statements at this time,” al-Ansari said. According to him, Qatari forces tried to contact the pilots after they entered the country’s airspace and after the strike route was confirmed. “After implementing rules of engagement and attempting to communicate with them without receiving a response, the necessary steps were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law,” the Qatari spokesman added.
2+Al-Ansari added that Qatar contacted Iran to coordinate the handover of remains of one of the pilots who was located. According to him, Doha also invited an Iranian team to come to Qatar and receive a briefing on the details of search and rescue operations conducted in April, but “the Iranian side has not yet responded to the invitation.” Behind the dispute is the downing of two Iranian Su-24 bombers during fighting in March. Qatar announced then that its air force shot down the two Iranian aircraft as part of defending its territory.
At the end of July, Iran announced that through DNA testing, the remains of the fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, were identified. At that time, Tehran still claimed the fate of the three other crew members was unknown. Now it’s claiming for the first time that they’re alive and in Qatar’s hands—a claim Doha denies.