Iran Says Qatar Holding Three of Its Pilots, Seeks Red Cross Help

-


Iran Says Qatar Is Holding Three of Its Pilots, Wants the Red Cross to Step In

The Pakistan Times — Islamabad, August 16, 2026

Iran's military has gone public with a claim that's been sitting quietly in the background for months, that three Iranian air force pilots are alive and being held in Qatar, and that Doha hasn't allowed them any contact with their families for half a year now. General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, who heads the armed forces committee tracking missing personnel, put the appeal in writing to the International Committee of the Red Cross, naming the three men as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian.

The backstory here goes back to early March, right in the middle of the wider war. Two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets were involved in a strike on Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the region, sitting on Qatari soil. Qatar's air force says it shot both jets down over the Persian Gulf that same day. The crews ejected, and for months afterward Iran's own public position was that all four crew members were simply missing, not captured. That changed gradually. Iran's army confirmed last month that DNA testing had identified the body of one pilot, Majid Kazemi, which was eventually returned home. As for the other three, Tehran spent weeks pressing Doha for basic information and getting essentially nothing back, with Qatari officials repeatedly saying they had no knowledge of where the men were.

Now Iran is shifting from missing to captured, a notably different claim. Bagherzadeh's letter to the Red Cross doesn't just ask for information anymore, it directly accuses Qatari forces of holding the men and cutting them off from their families and from Iranian officials entirely. It's worth noting this is coming from Iran's side only. Qatar has not issued any public confirmation that these three pilots are alive, in custody, or being deliberately isolated, and Doha's earlier statements suggested they genuinely had no information at all, a claim Tehran is now effectively rejecting.

This whole episode sits awkwardly against Qatar and Iran's actual relationship, which has generally stayed warmer than most other Gulf states manage with Tehran. The two countries share the world's largest gas field, and Qatar has spent years positioning itself as a trusted mediator between Iran and the West. Iran itself reportedly gave Doha advance warning before striking Al Udeid back in March specifically to limit the damage and avoid a bigger rupture between the two. That backdrop makes this pilot dispute feel less like a fresh diplomatic rift and more like unfinished business from a war that technically stopped firing missiles months ago but never really settled its outstanding grievances.

Read More:

Sources: Fars News Agency, Iran International, Mehr News Agency

© The Pakistan Times. All rights reserved.

Comments

Post a Comment

We welcome your thoughts and feedback. Please keep your comments respectful, relevant, and constructive. Spam, abusive, or promotional comments will not be approved.

Popular posts from this blog

US Sea Drones Used Against Iran: How They Work and Why It Matters

-
Image
  US Deploys Explosive Sea Drones The Pakistan Times  Islamabad Times Reports indicate that for the first time, the United States has used one-way attack sea drones in a major military operation against Iran. These drones are small, fast, unmanned boats that carry explosive payloads and can destroy enemy ships or coastal targets. Ukraine has successfully used similar drones against Russia, and Iran has also been reported to develop and use such unmanned maritime systems. The US deployment of this technology in a formal operation marks a significant shift in modern warfare. How Do These Drones Work? The US system is not just a single drone but a network. According to US officials, the Corsair drone is 24 feet long, can carry up to 1,000 pounds of equipment, and travels at 35 knots. It is equipped with 360-degree cameras and radar. It has already been used in the Gulf of Oman to rescue the crew of a US Apache helicopter. The second drone, GARC, is a 5-meter-long autonomous boat ...
Read more

World's Poorest Countries 2026: The Bottom Five by GDP Per Capita

-
Image
  The Pakistan Times  Islamabad Times   World's Poorest Countries 2026 Despite decades of global development efforts, a small group of nations remain trapped at the very bottom of the world's income rankings, with average annual incomes per person still measured in the hundreds of dollars. According to Focus Economics' 2026 consensus forecasts, The Pakistan Times Live looks at the five poorest countries in the world this year by GDP per capita, and examines why they remain stuck in poverty. Note: rankings can vary slightly between sources such as the IMF, World Bank, and private forecasters, depending on methodology and the exchange rates used.) 1. South Sudan  GDP per capita: approximately $445 South Sudan holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world's poorest country by this measure. Years of civil war, chronic political instability, and a near-total dependence on oil revenue have left the economy fragile and unable to diversify. Disputes over oil fiel...
Read more

How Volker Türk Won a Second Term as UN Human Rights Chief

-
Image
How Volker Türk Secured a New Term as UN Human Rights Chief Despite US, Israeli and Russian Opposition no The Pakistan Times — Islamabad, July 25, 2026 The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to grant Volker Türk a second four-year term as the UN's human rights chief, despite strong objections from the United States, Israel, and Russia, making him the first person to serve two full terms in the role since it was created in 1993. The Pakistan Times explains who Türk is, why his reappointment proved contentious, and what the vote reveals about divisions within the world body. The Vote Member states in the 193-nation General Assembly voted 144 in favour to 10 against, with 13 abstentions, to reappoint Türk on Friday. Ahead of the vote, the assembly had also rejected a US proposal to delay the decision by roughly a week, as well as a separate Russian proposal that would have extended Türk's term only until the end of 2026 rather than granting him a full four mo...
Read more