Qatar denies detaining Iranian pilots and confirms the death of one of them

On Saturday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the news emanating from Iran regarding Doha’s detention of Iranian pilots, describing that news as misleading and coming out in light of continuing efforts and efforts towards reducing the escalation.

The ministry’s spokesman, Majid Al-Ansari, wrote on the X platform: “We categorically deny the allegations that have been circulated regarding the detention of Iranian pilots, and we are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, in light of the continuing diplomatic endeavors and efforts aimed at reducing the escalation in the region.”

He continued: "We confirm that the concerned pilots were contacted after they violated Qatari airspace and the targeting route was confirmed, and after following the rules of engagement and communicating with them without an answer, the necessary measures were taken to defend our lands in accordance with the requirements of international law, which was clarified at the time through official channels."

He added that the Qatari search and rescue teams "did their duty to the fullest extent to search for the remains of the pilots, and that the State of Qatar contacted the Iranian side to coordinate the receipt of the remains of one of the pilots who was found in accordance with the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law."

Al-Ansari explained that Qatar "sent an invitation to a team to visit to review the details of the search and rescue operations last April, and the Iranian party has not responded to it yet."

Iranian military commander Sayyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh claimed in a letter to the Red Cross that three Iranian military pilots, whose planes were shot down while trying to target Qatar, had been detained by the Gulf state for months.

Bagherzadeh said that two Iranian Su-24 planes were shot down after targeting an American military base in Qatar. He added that three Iranian pilots jumped with parachutes, and one of them was killed in the operation, without providing any evidence to support this claim.

This appears to be the first time that Iran has accused Qatar of detaining the pilots. Just two weeks ago, the Iranian army stated that it was still trying to determine their fate.

CNN reported in March, citing two sources familiar with the operation, that a Qatari military plane shot down two Iranian Su-24 planes.