Iran has accused Qatar of detaining three Iranian bomber pilots in the early days of the war and asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene. In a letter published by Iranian media on Saturday, General Seyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh, who leads a committee searching for missing members of Iran’s armed forces, presented the claim, according to the report published on August 16, 2026.

Bagherzadeh said the pilots were flying Su-24 warplanes during an operation on March 2, several days after the war began. He said the aircraft were damaged by what he called an enemy air-defense system and the pilots ejected. He identified the three surviving pilots as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian, alleging that Qatari authorities captured them. He said a fourth pilot, Majid Kazemi, was killed.

Qatar said on March 2 that its air force had shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers. Bagherzadeh alleged that the detainees had not been allowed to meet or communicate with their families or officials handling their case. He urged the Red Cross to visit the pilots, investigate their condition and arrange their release as soon as possible. Qatar and the Red Cross did not respond to requests for comment from The New York Times.