Tehran demands clarification on the fate of Iranian air force pilots missing in Qatar
Iran is trying through diplomatic channels to determine the fate of four pilots who went missing after Iran's March 2 strike on an American base in Qatar, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told the Mehr agency.
According to him, Tehran is using diplomatic contacts and all available channels to establish the fate of the four Iranian pilots "who went missing during the operation against the U.S. military facility in Qatar, undertaken for defensive purposes." In particular, Iran maintains regular contacts with Qatar and has conveyed to the Qatari side its concern and considerations regarding the missing pilots.
The diplomat stressed that Tehran demands clarification of the fate of the Iranian air force servicemen who were sent on a defensive mission "with the aim of striking the source of American aggression."
"We have been dealing with this issue from the very day we learned about it," Baghaei said.
He also reported that Iran had sent an appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"Until their status is clarified, it is assumed that they were taken prisoner, and we are using every opportunity to establish the pilots' status," Baghaei noted.
