Iran Demands Qatar Release Three Captured Pilots

On Saturday, Iranian officials announced that three pilots captured during the early stages of the Middle East conflict are currently detained in Qatar, urging the Gulf nation to free them. These pilots were reportedly taken after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed while on a mission to Qatar in March. Although Iran had previously stated that one pilot was killed and others were missing, the news of their capture was not disclosed at that time. General Mohammad Bagherzadeh of the Iranian armed forces named the pilots as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian in a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross, revealing they have been held for six months without contact with their families. Qatar, however, denied on Saturday that it is holding any Iranian pilots. The situation highlights the persistent tensions in the region, with a satellite image from February showing the Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar.