Qatar Foreign Ministry: We firmly deny allegations of detaining Iranian pilots

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly denied allegations circulating about the detention of Iranian pilots. In a statement, Dr. Majid Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “We are surprised by these misleading remarks at this specific time, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.” He added: “We confirm that contact was established with the pilots in question after they violated Qatari airspace and confirmed the targeting trajectory. Following engagement protocols and attempts to communicate with them without receiving a response, necessary measures were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law, as was clarified at the time through official channels.” He continued: “In this context, we note that Qatari search and rescue teams, which possess world-class competence and expertise, fulfilled their duties to the fullest extent in searching for the pilots’ remains. The State of Qatar coordinated with the Iranian side for the handover of the remains of one of the pilots that were found, in accordance with applicable international humanitarian law. An invitation was also extended for a team to visit and review the details of the search and rescue operations conducted last April, but the Iranian side has not responded to this invitation to date.”