Iran’s Brig Gen Mohammad Bagherzadeh has petitioned the International Committee of the Red Cross, alleging that Qatar is unlawfully detaining three Iranian pilots. According to the Iranian official, the pilots—identified as Javad Salehi, Abdul Majid Dashtian, and Imran Behroshian—have been held for an extended period following incidents involving Iranian military aircraft. Bagherzadeh stated that the pilots were captured after ejecting from their jets during a combat mission on 2 March 2026 and claimed they have been denied contact with their families.
The Iranian letter to ICRC chief Mirjana Spoljaric asserts that Qatar’s detention of the pilots violates international humanitarian law and prisoners’ rights. Bagherzadeh also reported that a fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, was killed in the same operation, with his remains subsequently returned to Iran. The Iranian military official has called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the pilots’ capture and detention.
Qatar’s foreign affairs spokesperson Majed Mohammed Al Ansari issued a categorical denial of Iran’s allegations, characterizing them as misleading. Al Ansari stated that appropriate defensive measures were undertaken in accordance with international law when the aircraft violated Qatari airspace. Qatar indicated that it had made contact with the pilots following the airspace violation and claimed its search and rescue teams had conducted thorough recovery operations, successfully locating and coordinating the handover of one pilot’s remains.
Disputes over investigation access have also emerged between the two nations. Bagherzadeh requested permission for an Iranian fact-finding delegation to enter Qatar to independently verify the events, alleging that such a team had previously been denied entry. Al Ansari countered that Qatar had extended an invitation to Iranian representatives in April to review search and rescue findings, which had not yet been accepted by Tehran.
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