Mohammad Bagherzadeh
Iranian armed forces general who said Qatar is holding three Iranian pilots captured after their Su-24 jets crashed during the war.
Iranian general Mohammad Bagherzadeh said on 16 August 2026 that Qatar has secretly held three named Iranian pilots alive since their jets crashed during the war, a claim Qatar's foreign ministry disputes.
Last refreshed: 17 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why does Qatar dispute the Iranian general's claim that it holds three pilots alive?
Timeline for Mohammad Bagherzadeh
Iran says Qatar holds three pilots
Iran Conflict 2026Background
Iranian armed forces General Mohammad Bagherzadeh said on 16 August 2026 that Qatari forces have held three Iranian pilots alive for six months since their Su-24 jets crashed during the war, naming them as Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behraveshian. His account has not been independently verified.
Qatar's foreign ministry disputes the claim: it says the aircraft entered Qatari airspace and did not respond to contact, that search teams recovered the remains of one pilot, and that it has invited Iran to review the details of a handover, an invitation Tehran has not yet answered. The detention claim remains contested by both governments' own account, not an established fact.
Who is Mohammad Bagherzadeh?
What did Mohammad Bagherzadeh claim about the missing pilots?
Does Qatar agree with Bagherzadeh's claim?
