Iran asks ICRC to probe fate of three pilots held in Qatar

The Commander of the Missing in Action Search Committee of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, has written to the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, expressing grave concern over the fate of three Iranian pilots and requesting urgent follow-up on their situation.

In his letter, Bagherzadeh stated that two Iranian Air Force Su-24 fighter-bombers flew toward a US military base in Qatar on March 2, 2026, as part of Iran's response to attacks on the country. The aircraft successfully carried out their mission but were struck by enemy air defenses while returning, forcing their crews to eject. One of the four pilots, Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, was martyred; his remains were recovered and buried in Iran.

According to the information obtained, the three other pilots—Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian—were captured alive by Qatari forces. Bagherzadeh denounced Qatar for failing, during the six months since the incident, to respect the prisoners' rights under international law, including the Geneva Conventions. He said that despite diplomatic efforts and follow-ups, the Iranian side had not been allowed to meet or interview the pilots or establish contact between them and their families and officials.

Bagherzadeh cited Articles 70 and 78 of the Third Geneva Convention, which require that prisoners of war be able to notify their families and the ICRC of their capture and have the right to communicate with representatives of protecting powers, including ICRC delegates visiting detention camps. He also pointed to provisions concerning seriously ill or wounded prisoners, saying they should be directly repatriated when medically warranted.

The general called on the ICRC to urgently interview the three pilots in Qatar, inform Tehran about their health, and facilitate their swift release. He expressed the committee's grave concern over the situation of the pilots held captive in Qatar and urged the ICRC to act within its humanitarian mandate and bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

This disclosure comes after months of uncertainty. Iranian Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said on August 1 that Tehran was continuing to pursue the case, while Qatari authorities had claimed they had no information about the whereabouts of the missing airmen. Akraminia had called on Qatar's government and military to act more responsibly and make a more serious effort, in accordance with international conventions and humanitarian law, to clarify the status of the three pilots.

The Iranian Army had earlier announced that DNA testing confirmed the death of Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, one of the pilots of the two Su-24s involved in the March 2 operation. His remains were returned to Iran after several months. According to the Iranian Army, the two aircraft had taken off from Shahid Doran Air Base in Shiraz and struck the US-operated Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar before being targeted by enemy air defenses over the Persian Gulf during their return flight. The report by Mehr News Agency detailed these developments.