Three Iranian pilots—Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian—have reportedly been detained in Qatar for six months after their Sukhoi Su-24 bombers were shot down, Iran International reported. Mohammad Bagherzadeh of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff told the ICRC that the airmen have been denied contact with family and Iranian officials. Iranian authorities say another pilot, Majid Kazemi, was returned to Iran earlier. The situation is under investigation and remains a developing story.
Three Iranian Pilots Held in Qatar for Six Months, Denied Contact With Families, Iran Says
A replica of an Iranian air force F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft is displayed before traffic along a city square in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on August 10, 2026. (photo credit: ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
Three Iranian military pilots have been held in Qatari custody for six months and reportedly have not been allowed to contact their families or Iranian officials, Iran International reported on Saturday.
Source and disclosure. The information was disclosed by Mohammad Bagherzadeh, who heads the Missing Personnel Committee at the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, in a letter to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, according to the report.
How they were captured. Iranian officials say the airmen were taken into Qatari custody after their Sukhoi Su-24 tactical bombers were shot down in the region. The detained pilots have been identified as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian.
A Russian air force Sukhoi Su-24 bomber lands at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on December 16, 2015; Illustrative. (credit: PAUL GYPTEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Bagherzadeh wrote that the pilots "have not been permitted to speak to their families or Iranian officials" while in Qatari custody, according to Iran International.
Related developments. Iranian authorities previously confirmed that an additional pilot, Majid Kazemi, was returned to Iran following a separate operation. Details around the circumstances of the shootdowns and subsequent detentions remain limited and have not been independently verified.
Diplomatic and humanitarian angle. The matter was raised with the ICRC, underlining the humanitarian concerns around detainee access to family and consular contact. International and regional officials have not publicly verified the full account.
Note: This is a developing story and additional information may emerge as officials and international organizations respond.
Help us improve.
