Now Reading: Iran demands release of 3 pilots captured in Qatar after jet crash
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Iran demands release of 3 pilots captured in Qatar after jet crash
Iran demands release of 3 pilots captured in Qatar after jet crash
Iranian authorities have called for the release of three pilots captured in Qatar after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during the Middle East war. General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, in a letter to the…
The Story in Brief
Iranian authorities have called for the release of three pilots captured in Qatar after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during the Middle East war. General Mohammad Bagherzadeh, in a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the pilots, Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian, have been held by Qatari forces for six months and denied contact with their families. Last month, Iran retrieved the body of another pilot, Majid Kazemi, killed in an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in March.
The war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel struck Iran, which retaliated across the region. A ceasefire in April and a peace framework in June collapsed. Sporadic fighting continued, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, before a lull in late July.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative of 'Iranian aggression' often ignores that the pilots were shot down while attacking a US base in Qatar, a belligerent act in a war Iran did not start. The counter-narrative of 'Qatar holding innocent men' sidesteps that they were military personnel on a combat mission. The real test is whether the ICRC gets access to the pilots and whether Qatar allows family contact. If the three are indeed alive, their treatment will show if the lull in fighting has any chance of holding.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
