Iran has accused Qatar of hindering investigations into the disappearance of three Iranian pilots during the recent conflict, a claim that Qatar has firmly denied. According to Mohammad Bagherzadeh, an official from Iran’s armed forces, an Iranian Air Force expert team has been awaiting permission for several months to travel to Qatar and investigate the situation. Bagherzadeh urged Doha to grant access to the team and called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene in the matter.
Previously, Iran reported recovering the body of pilot Majid Kazemi, who was reportedly killed in an attack involving the US Al Udeid Air Base located in Qatar. In response to Iran’s allegations, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, refuted claims of detaining the Iranian pilots. Al-Ansari explained that Qatar had reached out to the pilots after they supposedly breached Qatari airspace, and defensive measures were implemented when communication attempts failed.
Qatar also highlighted that its search and rescue teams were deployed to locate the pilots and any remains. The Qatari authorities stated that they coordinated with Iran regarding the transfer of the remains of one pilot who was found. Additionally, Qatar noted that Iranian authorities had been invited in April to dispatch a team to Qatar for a briefing on the search and rescue efforts but had yet to respond to this invitation.
This dispute arises amidst ongoing tensions between Iran, the United States, and other regional countries following the conflict’s outbreak earlier this year. Qatar has maintained a significant diplomatic role, aiming to ease tensions and promote dialogue among the involved parties.