Tehran (HRNW)- Iran has claimed that three pilots who went missing after Iranian fighter jets were shot down following an attack on a US military base in Qatar in March are being held by Qatari forces. The claim is the first public statement by Iranian officials that the missing pilots are in Qatar, but it has not been independently confirmed, and Qatar has not officially responded.
Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, who heads the committee overseeing missing military personnel, has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help locate the pilots and secure their release.
Iran says two Su-24 fighter jets were sent from Shiraz on March 2, 2026, in response to US and Israeli attacks and targeted the US-operated Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. According to Iran, Qatari air defenses targeted the aircraft as they returned, forcing their crews to eject.
Iran says four pilots were aboard the two aircraft. One, Majid Kazemi, was killed, while the remaining three — Javad Salehi, Abdulhamid Dashtian and Omran Bahraviashian — were allegedly captured alive by Qatari forces.
Iran has called on the Red Cross to meet the three pilots, establish their health and whereabouts, inform Iranian authorities and families, and assist in securing their release. Qatar previously confirmed that its forces shot down two Iranian Su-24 aircraft but has not confirmed Iran’s latest claim regarding the pilots.
The fate of the three missing pilots remains unclear, with Iran urging international intervention while independent confirmation of their alleged detention is still pending.
Support humanitarian relief efforts: Donate to HRNW
