Iran says Qatar detaining three pilots after March jet downing

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has stated that Qatar is detaining three Iranian pilots following the downing of their fighter jets in March.

According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said it has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to help secure the release of the three pilots, whom Iran claims are being held by Qatar. There has been no official response from Qatar to Iran’s statements.

The agency added that the pilots were detained after their aircraft were hit during a mission in March targeting what Tehran described as a "hostile military base" in Qatar.

On March 2, 2026, two Sukhoi-24 fighter jets were dispatched to carry out a combat mission against an enemy military base located in Qatar. Despite initial success, the pilots were forced to eject from their aircraft on the return journey after being struck by air defenses.