Iran Demands Release Of 3 Pilots Allegedly Captured By Qatar

Iran has called for the release of three pilots it says were captured by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during the Middle East war, with Iranian authorities claiming they have been held for six months without contact with their families.

The demand was made on Saturday by General Mohammad Bagherzadeh of the Iranian armed forces in a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Fars news agency reported that the three pilots — Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian — were captured alive after their aircraft crashed in Qatar during the conflict.

"Three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during the war," Fars news agency quoted Bagherzadeh as saying.

"Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian have been held by Qatari forces for six months," he said in the letter.

Bagherzadeh also urged the Red Cross to seek their release, saying the pilots had not been permitted to meet or communicate with their families. Iranian authorities had previously described the three pilots as missing, but had not publicly disclosed the claim that they were being held in Qatar, AFP reported.

The latest demand comes after Iran's army said last month that it had recovered the body of Iranian pilot Majid Kazemi. He was killed during an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early March, according to Iranian authorities.

The Al Udeid base hosts forward components of US Central Command (CENTCOM), as well as the command's air forces and special operations forces. It is the largest US base in the region.

AFP reported that the Middle East war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Tehran responded with attacks across the region. Diplomatic efforts resulted in an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, followed by the signing of a framework for peace talks in June. Those talks later collapsed.

Iran and the United States have since exchanged fire sporadically, with fighting largely focused on southern Iran and the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. A lull in the fighting has remained in place since late July.