Iran says Qatar captured three pilots during recent war; urges ICRC to pursue their case

Commander of the Missing-in-Action Search Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to urgently follow up on the fate of three Iranian pilots captured by Qatari forces.

In a letter to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric, Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh said the pilots were captured after two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets carried out a combat mission against an enemy military base in Qatar on March 2, 2026.

According to the letter, the aircraft were returning from the mission when they were hit by enemy air defenses, forcing their pilots to eject.

“One of the four pilots of the two fighter jets was martyred,” Bagherzadeh wrote, identifying him as pilot Majid Kazemi and noting that his body was subsequently buried in Iran.

Iran confirms Su-24 pilot martyred following strike on Al Udeid Air Base

Iran’s Army has confirmed the martyrdom of Second Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, one of the Air Force pilots involved in the March strike on the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

He said the three other pilots — Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Emran Behrouzian — were captured alive by Qatari forces.

“Unfortunately, since that date, despite the passage of six months, the Qatari government has disregarded and violated the prisoners’ fundamental rights, contrary to international laws and regulations, including the four Geneva Conventions,” the Iranian commander said.

Bagherzadeh further noted that, despite diplomatic efforts and follow-ups, Qatar had not allowed the captured pilots to meet or communicate with their families or Iranian officials responsible for following up on their cases.

He described the issue as a matter requiring attention under provisions concerning war crimes.

The Iranian commander also referred to Articles 70 and 78 of the Third Geneva Convention, stating that prisoners of war must be able to notify their families and the Central Tracing Agency of the ICRC of their capture.

He added that prisoners are entitled to submit complaints and requests to representatives of protecting powers, including ICRC delegates visiting detention camps, and that seriously ill or wounded prisoners, based on medical assessment, should be transferred directly to their home country.

“The Missing-in-Action Search Committee of the Armed Forces General Staff expresses its grave concern over the condition of the Iranian pilots held in Qatar,” Bagherzadeh said.

He called on the ICRC president to “urgently interview the Iranian pilots in Qatar” and inform Iran about their health and current condition, in line with the committee’s humanitarian mission and bilateral cooperation.

In direct response to unprovoked US and Zionist military aggression, two IRIAF Su-24 bombers successfully penetrated advanced enemy radar networks and sophisticated air defense systems to bombard the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a primary hub for US military forces in West Asia.

During their return journey over the Persian Gulf, the Iranian aircraft were targeted and struck by enemy air defense systems.

Despite the heavy anti-aircraft fire, the mission was successfully executed, delivering a powerful message of deterrence to the aggressors.

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