Full Breakdown
Three Iranian Pilots Held by Qatar After March 2 Strike
8/15/2026, 9:15:01 PM
Iranian Pilots Captured After March 2 Strike
On March 2, 2026, two Iranian Air Force Su-24 fighter-bombers attacked the U.S.-operated Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The aircraft were hit by enemy air defenses on the return flight, forcing all four crew members to eject. Brigadier General Majid Kazemi was killed; his remains were later returned to Iran. The three surviving pilots—Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian, and Omran Behraveshian—were taken into Qatari custody and have remained detained for six months, according to Iranian officials.
Background of the March 2 Operation
The strike was described by Tehran as part of a broader military response that began on February 28 to large-scale U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian military and civilian targets. The two Su-24s had taken off from Shahid Doran Air Base in Shiraz before heading toward the Qatari base.
Iran’s Appeal to the ICRC
Brigadier General Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Missing-in-Action Search Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, wrote to International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger requesting an urgent investigation. In the letter he expressed “grave concern” over the pilots’ condition and invoked Articles 70 and 78 of the Third Geneva Convention, which require prisoners of war to be allowed to notify families and receive ICRC visits. He urged the ICRC to interview the pilots, assess their health, and facilitate their “swift release.”
Official Statements from Iran and Qatar
Baqerzadeh publicly stated: “According to the information obtained, the three other pilots involved in the incident — pilots Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian — were captured alive by Qatari forces,” — Brigadier General Mohammad Baqerzadeh
Iranian Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said on August 1 that Tehran continued to pursue the case, while Qatari authorities claimed they had no information about the pilots’ whereabouts. Qatar has not confirmed the detention or provided details to Iranian officials.
Current Status and Outlook
The three pilots remain in Qatari custody without contact with families or Iranian officials. Iran has framed the situation as a potential war-crime violation under international humanitarian law and continues to press the ICRC and Qatar for clarification and release. No further diplomatic developments have been announced.
