Iran Says 3 Pilots Captured by Qatar Six Months Ago

Iran has revealed the fate of three military pilots who went missing during an attack in March, stating they were captured alive by Qatari forces and have been held in the Gulf state for approximately six months. The announcement was made by Mohammad Bagher Zadeh, head of the Committee for Missing Personnel of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, in a letter to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The letter, published by the Fars News Agency, identified the pilots as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dehestani, and Omran Behravashian. Zadeh claimed that the pilots were denied contact with their families and Iranian officials seeking information throughout their detention.

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The three pilots were captured alive by Qatar's forces and have been held in this country for about six months.

Previously, Iranian officials had stated that the pilots' status was uncertain due to insufficient information. They had only confirmed the return of the body of one other pilot, Majid Kazemi, following an operation in Qatar. The revelation raises questions about the circumstances of the March attack and the ongoing diplomatic situation between Iran and Qatar.

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Throughout their detention, the three pilots were not allowed to meet with their families or with Iranian officials who were trying to get information about them.