Iran has urgently appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for assistance in securing the release of three Iranian pilots captured in Qatar in March, according to a letter sent by Mohammad Bagherzadeh, head of the Missing Persons Committee of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
The August 15 letter addressed ICRC President Mirjana Spolyaric Egger and expressed “serious concern” over the pilots’ welfare. Bagherzadeh stated that despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has been unable to meet with the captured pilots or facilitate communication between them and their families.
According to Iranian military sources, the pilots were detained following a combat mission on March 2, 2026, when two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets targeted a military base in Qatar. The aircraft were struck by defensive fire during the operation, resulting in the pilots ejecting from the cockpit.
