Qatar denies holding three Iranian pilots, says one dead

Qatar has denied claims that its forces are holding three Iranian pilots, saying one was found dead after the men ejected from fighter jets that violated Qatari airspace in March. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated on X that the pilots failed to respond to repeated contact attempts, and search teams later recovered the remains of one. Qatar said it contacted Iran to coordinate a handover but Tehran has not responded to an invitation to review the operation's details.

Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted a senior military official saying three pilots were captured alive after their aircraft were hit during a mission against what Tehran described as an enemy military base in Qatar. Iran's Armed Forces General Staff has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help secure their release. Iran said the mission was part of its response to US and Israeli attacks that began on February 28, accusing those countries of using bases in Gulf Arab states.