ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iranian military on Saturday called for the release of three fighter pilots that have allegedly been held in Qatari custody since March after their jets were downed during a combat mission over the country.

In a letter addressed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh said that the pilots ejected from their Su-24 aircraft after being struck by air defenses while returning from a bombing mission targeting a US military base in Qatar.

The official noted that one pilot was killed in the incident and another three were "captured alive" by Qatari forces, whom he claimed have since "ignored and violated the inalienable rights of these prisoners."

"Despite all diplomatic efforts and follow-up efforts, [Qatar] has not allowed the prisoners to meet, interview, and contact their families and the officials in charge," he complained, citing passages of the Geneva Convention that state that prisoners of war (POWs) must be allowed to inform their families and the Red Cross of their captivity.

Bagherzadeh, the head of the Iranian Armed Forces' Missing Persons Committee, further said that any wounded POWs must be prermitted to return to their country of origin.

"The Missing Persons Committee of the General Staff of the Armed Forces expresses its deep concern about the situation of the captured pilots in Qatar and strongly requests the high-ranking official of the International Committee of the Red Cross to interview the Iranian pilots in Qatar as soon as possible, in line with humanitarian missions and bilateral cooperation, and to inform the Islamic Republic of Iran of the health status of these individuals and to create conditions for their rapid release."

Qatar was repeatedly targeted by Iran during the 2026 conflict with the US and Israel on account of the extensive US military presence in the country.

In July, the Iranian military announced that it had recovered the remains of the aforementioned deceased pilot and noted that he was killed during a raid on Al Udeid Air Base, one of the most important facilities in the area of operations of US Central Command (CENTCOM) and its largest base.

Doha has repeatedly condemned Iranian strikes on its territory and vowed to protect its sovereignty.