Iran accused Qatar on Saturday of capturing three of its bomber pilots in the early days of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, a claim that a Qatari official publicly denied.
Gen. Seyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Iranian armed forces’ missing persons search committee, made the accusation in a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was published by Iranian media. He said the men were flying Su-24 fighter jets in an operation on March 2, days after the outbreak of the war, when their planes had been hit by “enemy defenses” and the pilots ejected.
They survived but were captured by the Qatari authorities, according to General Bagherzadeh, who named the men as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian. A fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, died, he added.
But Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, denied that the country had detained the Iranians.
“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region,” Mr. al-Ansari wrote on social media on Saturday evening.
Qatar, a close U.S. ally that hosts a major American military base, said in early March that its Air Force had shot down two Iranian Su-24 bomber jets. Mr. al-Ansari said on Saturday that “contact was established with the pilots concerned following their violation of Qatari airspace.”
He added, “After following the rules of engagement & attempting to communicate with them without receiving a response, the necessary measures were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law.”
He said that Qatari search and rescue teams searched for the pilots’ remains. Qatar communicated with Iran to turn over the remains of one pilot who was found, presumably a reference to Mr. Kazemi, Mr. al-Ansari said.
Qatar also invited an Iranian team to visit and “be briefed on the details of the search & rescue operations in April, but the Iranian side has yet to respond to the invitation,” Mr. al-Ansari said.
General Bagherzadeh’s letter was the most precise indication so far of what Iran believes happened to the three pilots. Before Saturday’s letter, Iranian authorities had said the fate of the men was unknown.
Qatar “has not allowed the prisoners to meet or speak with their families or with officials handling their cases,” General Bagherzadeh wrote. He called on the Red Cross to meet with the pilots, investigate their condition, and facilitate their release as soon as possible.
The Red Cross did not respond to a request for comment.
Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting.
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