Qatar Denies Detaining Iranian Pilots, Says Remains of One Were Found

DOHA: Qatar has denied holding Iranian pilots and said search and rescue teams found the remains of one pilot after an earlier airspace incident.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry made the statement on Saturday, August 15, following claims from Iranian officials that Qatar had detained three Iranian pilots.

Qatar Rejects Pilot Detention Claims

A Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the pilots had violated Qatari airspace earlier this year.

According to the spokesperson, the pilots also failed to respond to attempts by Qatari authorities to contact them.

Qatar said it therefore does not hold the Iranian pilots as claimed by Tehran.

Remains of One Pilot Found

The Qatari spokesperson said search and rescue teams later found the remains of one of the pilots.

Qatar has contacted Iranian authorities to coordinate the handover of the remains, the spokesperson said.

The statement did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the pilot’s death.

Qatar Seeks Response From Iran

The Qatari Foreign Ministry also said Tehran had not yet responded to an invitation.

According to the spokesperson, Qatar invited Iran to review details of its operations related to the incident.

The latest statement adds a new dimension to the dispute over the fate of the Iranian pilots.

Qatar has rejected the claim that it detained them, while Iran has previously alleged that its pilots were captured during the conflict.

For now, Qatar says it has found the remains of one pilot and is seeking coordination with Iran for their handover.