Qatar rejects Iran's claim of detaining 3 pilots
What's the story
Qatar has rejected Iran's claims of detaining three Iranian pilots. The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the pilots had violated its airspace in March and didn't respond to communication attempts. A search and rescue operation later recovered one pilot's remains, the ministry added. It also invited an Iranian team in April to review the operation details, but said Tehran hasn't responded yet.
Contradictory claims
What did Iran say?
Iranian state media had earlier reported that three pilots were captured by Qatari forces after their jets were shot down during a mission against a US facility in Qatar.
General Mohammad Bagherzadeh named the pilots and claimed they had been held for six months.
He called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene.
Conflict escalation
Incident part of larger regional conflict
The incident is part of a larger regional conflict that started on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
These prompted Iranian retaliation against Israel and US facilities in the Gulf, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Despite diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation, tensions remain high with a lull in fighting since late July.