Iran has called on Qatar to end what it described as continued delays and obstruction over the fate of three Iranian pilots who Tehran says were captured alive after their aircraft crashed during the March US-Israeli aggression against Iran.

Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff’s committee responsible for missing personnel, urged Doha to allow an Iranian military fact-finding team to enter Qatar and investigate the whereabouts and condition of the missing airmen.

The appeal came one day after Qatar’s Foreign Ministry rejected Iranian reports that three Iranian pilots had been captured by Qatari forces.

“Instead of denying the matter and obstructing the fact-finding process, the Qatari government should allow the Iranian Air Force’s expert and fact-finding team to travel to Qatar,” Bagherzadeh said.

According to the Iranian commander, an elite team of Iranian Air Force specialists has been waiting for months to travel to Qatar and conduct an investigation on the ground. He accused Qatari authorities of repeatedly delaying the process, saying the restrictions have hindered efforts to determine the fate of the missing personnel and secure their return to Iran.

Bagherzadeh also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene immediately and follow up on the case.

He urged the international humanitarian organization to investigate the reported detention of the Iranian airmen, assess their health and living conditions, and help establish direct contact with their families and Iranian representatives.

The Iranian official also raised concerns over what he described as a similar lack of transparency concerning four Iranian nationals reportedly held in Kuwait, accusing Kuwaiti authorities of failing to provide adequate information about their fate.

Tehran Says Three Pilots Were Captured Alive

In an official letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Bagherzadeh said that three Iranian airmen were captured alive by Qatari forces after two Iranian Su-24 aircraft crashed during the March conflict.

Iran identified the detained personnel as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian.

Bagherzadeh said the three men had allegedly remained in Qatari custody for approximately six months without contact with their families or Iranian diplomatic representatives.

Tehran has demanded their immediate release and called on the Red Cross to verify their status and ensure that their treatment complies with international humanitarian law.

Qatar, however, has denied the Iranian reports concerning the alleged capture, leaving the circumstances surrounding the three pilots unresolved.

Iranian authorities previously confirmed the death of Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, the fourth airman involved in the incident.

According to Tehran, Kazemi’s body was recovered after he was killed during an attack involving Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Iran has maintained that US military facilities across the Gulf have been used to support military operations against Iranian territory. Tehran has consequently characterized its attacks against such facilities as a response to hostile military activity conducted from, or enabled by, those bases.

The latest Iranian appeal to Qatar and the Red Cross comes amid continued efforts by Tehran to establish the whereabouts of the three missing pilots and secure clarification over their reported detention.

Iran has emphasized that determining the fate of its servicemen and ensuring their safe return remains a humanitarian and legal priority. (ILKHA)