The Iranian military announced on Shabbos that three Iranian pilots who have been missing since March are alive and being held captive in Qatar.

Qatar, however, denied it.

The pilots went missing after the fighter jets they were flying crashed during strike missions carried out in March.

Until now, Tehran had said it had no information about their fate. This is the first known case in the war where Iran has said a regional country is holding its fighters. Qatar on March 2 said its air force shot down two Iranian bombers as Tehran lashed out against countries hosting U.S. military bases in the opening days of the war.

Saturday’s statement alleged that Qatar had not allowed the pilots to meet or communicate with families or Iranian officials handling their cases. Iran asked the International Committee of the Red Cross president for help. The letter said a fourth pilot was killed while on the mission “targeting an enemy military base in Qatar,” state media reported.

A spokesperson with Qatar’s foreign ministry, Majed Al Ansari, later denied the claims and indicated on X that the pilots had been shot down and that Qatar’s search and rescue teams found the remains of one. He added tht Iran was invited in April to visit and be briefed on those efforts, but did not respond.

“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region,” Al Ansari wrote on X.

(AP & YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)