ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Qatar on Saturday denied Iranian allegations that it has held three Iranian military pilots in custody since they were shot down in March, saying that the downed aircrew did not respond to Qatari communications and, subsequently, the "necessary measures were taken to defend our territory."

Earlier in the day, Iranian media shared a copy of a letter written by Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh to the International Committee of the Red Cross in which he 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."

However, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari responded by saying, "We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots and are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time."

Ansari said that attempts were made to communicate with the pilots during their mission but did not elicit a response, after which time "the necessary measures were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law."

"In this context, we note that Qatar’s search and rescue teams, which possess world-class expertise and capabilities, carried out their duties to the fullest in searching for the remains of the pilots."

The spokesperson said that Doha coordinated with Tehran regarding the handover of the remains of one of the pilots, which Iran confirmed took place in July. 

"Qatar also issued an invitation for an Iranian team to visit Qatar to be briefed on the details of the search and rescue operations in April, but the Iranian side has yet to respond to the invitation," he concluded.

Ansari did not explicitly state whether or not the three other airmen were alive or dead.

In his letter to the Red Cross, Bagherzadeh requested that the humanitarian organization "interview the Iranian pilots in Qatar as soon as possible... and 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, with Doha condemning the attacks and vowing to defend its sovereignty.