ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iranian army on Sunday accused Qatar of obstructing efforts to determine the whereabouts of Iranian pilots reportedly captured during the regional unrest, calling on Doha to allow Iranian air force experts to enter the country and investigate the matter instead of “denying the issue.”

“Due to continuous sabotage and delay by Qatari officials, the grounds for the return of our brave pilots to the country have not been prepared,” Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the missing persons committee of the Iranian army, said in remarks carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

On Saturday, Iranian media shared a copy of a letter written by 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."

The claims were later denied by the Qatari foreign ministry, with spokesperson Majed Al Ansari saying “we are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time."

Bagherzadeh asserted that a team of Iranian experts from the country’s air force have been intending to enter Qatar for several months to carry out a field investigation but their efforts were obstructed by Doha.

“Instead of denying the issue and creating restrictions on the path to truth-finding, the Qatari government should allow the expert and fact-finding team of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Air Force to depart for Qatar,” he said.

In his remarks, Ansari asserted that the downed aircrew did not respond to Qatari communications and, subsequently, the "necessary measures were taken to defend our territory." He added that Doha coordinated with Tehran regarding the handover of the remains of one of the pilots, which Iran confirmed took place in July.

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.