An Iranian official has called on Qatar to grant access to an Iranian team tasked with investigating the fate of pilots Tehran claims were captured by Qatari forces. This demand comes amid Qatar’s denial of any such capture.
Qatar stated that its search and rescue units recovered the remains of one pilot after Iranian aircraft entered Qatari airspace in March without responding to communication attempts. Doha has reached out to Iran to arrange the transfer of the remains and invited Iranian officials to review the search and rescue operation details, but no reply has been received.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff Committee for the Search for Missing Persons, revealed that an Iranian Air Force expert and a fact-finding delegation have been waiting for months to enter Qatar. He accused Qatari authorities of repeatedly delaying the investigation and obstructing the return of the pilots to Iran. Baqerzadeh urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently intervene in the matter.
In a related development, Baqerzadeh mentioned that Kuwait is also withholding information regarding four Iranians detained there. Earlier in May, Iran stated that these individuals, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, were on a maritime patrol when they inadvertently entered Kuwaiti waters due to navigation issues. Kuwait, however, has accused them of planning hostile activities against the country.
