Iran calls for release of pilots captured in Qatar during US-Israeli aggression
An Iranian military official on Saturday called for the release of three pilots he said were captured in Qatar during an air strike on an American base in the tiny Persian Gulf country days after the US and Israel launched a war of aggression against Iran.
“Three Iranian pilots were captured alive by Qatari forces after their Su-24 fighter jets crashed during the war,” General Mohammad Baqerzadeh of the Iranian Armed Forces said, ISNA reported.
“Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian have been held by Qatari forces for six months,” he added in a letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In the letter, Baqerzadeh noted that the pilots had not been allowed to meet or contact their families.
Last month, the Army said it had retrieved the body of Iranian pilot Majid Kazemi, who was killed during an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early March.
Iran had previously said the other pilots were missing but news of their capture was not publicized at the time.
The Al Udeid base in Qatar includes forward components of US Central Command (CENTCOM), as well the command’s air forces and special operations forces, according to AFP.
It is the largest US base in the region.
The war broke out on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which retaliated with attacks across the region on US bases as well as on Israel.
Diplomatic efforts led to an April ceasefire, ending nearly 40 days of fighting, before the signing of a framework for peace talks in June, which later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centered in southern Iran and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
A lull in fighting has been in place since late July.