Qatar has rejected Iran’s claim that Qatari forces captured three Iranian pilots alive after Iranian warplanes crashed. In an X post on August 16, Majed Al-Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and Foreign Ministry spokesperson, described the allegation as misleading and said its circulation was surprising while diplomatic efforts were under way to reduce regional tensions.

Al-Ansari said Qatari authorities attempted to contact the pilots after they violated Qatar’s airspace and after the route of the attacking aircraft was confirmed. He said deployed forces took necessary measures to defend Qatari territory in accordance with international law after attempts to establish contact failed. Qatar’s search-and-rescue teams later searched for the pilots and recovered one pilot’s body.

Qatar coordinated with Iran on handing over the body under international humanitarian law, Al-Ansari said. He added that Qatar invited Iran in April to send a team to be directly briefed on the search-and-rescue operation, but Tehran has not responded. Iran had alleged that three pilots were captured alive after two Su-24 aircraft were downed during an attack on a Qatari military base on March 2.