TEHRAN - An Iranian military official said on Saturday that three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jets went down during retaliatory strikes against US bases nearly six months ago. 

Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Missing Persons Search Committee of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, said the three airmen were among four crew members aboard two tactical aircraft that crashed during the military confrontation involving the US and Israel. Three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during March attacks, Bagherzadeh stated in an official letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

He identified the detained airmen as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian, revealing that they have been held in Qatari custody for six months without access to their families or diplomatic representation. In his letter, Bagherzadeh demanded their immediate release and urged the Red Cross to inspect their living and health conditions under international humanitarian law. Iran's military previously confirmed the retrieval of the body of Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, the fourth pilot, who was killed during the March strike targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which serves as the largest US military installation in West Asia and forward headquarters for US Central Command.

While Tehran had initially listed the remaining crew members as missing, confirmation of their live capture by Qatari forces had not been publicly disclosed until now. Tehran’s appeal to the Red Cross highlights a severe violation of international humanitarian law. Under Articles 70 and 78 of the Third Geneva Convention, detaining military personnel without consular access, family communication, or neutral humanitarian oversight constitutes a direct breach of international standards governing prisoners of war, falling under the purview of war crimes that warrant immediate international investigation. By keeping these brave aviators in isolated detention and refusing to clarify their status for half a year, Qatari authorities risk compromising their declared neutrality and becoming complicit in enabling foreign military operations that threaten regional security. Iranian commentators emphasize that the historic March operations demonstrated the Islamic Republic’s operational reach, military resolve, and willingness to target critical assets supporting foreign aggression, making the immediate, dignified return of these captured hero pilots an urgent matter of national sovereignty and military honor.