Iran Accuses Qatar of Holding Three Fighter Jet Pilots Hostage, Demands Immediate Release

Iranian authorities say three of their fighter jet pilots were captured by Qatar during the Middle East war. The Iranian government is urging Qatar to release the three immediately.

“Three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jet crashed during the war,” said General Mohammad Bagherzadeh of the Iranian armed forces, as reported by AFP on Saturday (15/8/2026).

Bagherzadeh said the three pilots have been held for six months. He said the pilots have not yet been permitted to meet or contact their families.

“Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian have been detained by Qatari forces for six months,” he said in a letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Last month, the Iranian military announced it had evacuated the body of an Iranian pilot named Majid Kazemi, who was killed in an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early March.

Iran had previously stated that other pilots were missing, but news of their alleged capture was not made public at the time.

Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar hosts the forward headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM), as well as air and special operations forces from that command. The base is the largest US installation in the region.