TEHRAN/DOHA – Qatari forces captured three Iranian pilots whose fighter jets were shot down when returning from a military mission against a US base in Qatar in March, according to an Iranian military commander.

Commander of the Missing Persons Search Committee of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Mohammad Bagherzadeh made the remarks in a letter addressed to the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric, which was published on the Iranian committee's website on Saturday.

Qatar denied the claims, describing them as misleading amid ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.

On Feb 28, Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing the country's then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei, military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region.

According to Bagherzadeh, following the start of the US and Israeli strikes against Iran in late February, some of which were launched from US bases in the region, two Iranian Army's Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets flew to Qatar on March 2 to conduct a military mission.

The fighter jets were hit by the "enemy's" air defense on the way back, and the pilots ejected, he said.

While one of the four Iranian pilots in the jets died, the rest were captured alive by Qatari forces, said Bagherzadeh.

The body of the slain Iranian pilot, Majid Kazemi, was returned to Iran and buried in the southern city of Shiraz in late July.

The commander stressed that the Iranian pilots were not allowed to contact their families, while the relevant authorities were also prevented from following up on their cases.

He said his committee is gravely concerned about the captured pilots' conditions, calling on the ICRC's president to inform Iran of their health status, and prepare the ground for their swift release.

Qatari denial

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari took it to social media platform X to deny the Iranian claim. “We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots and are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time.”

Al Ansari said contact had been established with the pilots concerned after they violated Qatari airspace and authorities confirmed the trajectory of the targeting.

"After following the rules of engagement and attempting to communicate with them without receiving a response, the necessary measures were taken to defend our territory in accordance with international law," he said, adding that the circumstances had been clarified at the time through official channels.

Qatari search and rescue teams subsequently conducted operations to search for the remains of the pilots, the spokesperson said, adding that Qatar had communicated with Iran to coordinate the handover of the remains of one pilot who was found.

Iran warns France against interference

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry on Saturday warned the French government against "illegal interference" in Iran's internal affairs.

In a statement on its website, the ministry said two French diplomats took part in a secret meeting in Tehran in July with suspects of a "major case involving foreign infiltration and interference."

Following an investigation, it said the diplomats had "extensive records of violations and behaviors in contradiction with Iran's domestic law and their diplomatic obligations."

The ministry stressed it will not allow foreign diplomats in Iran to engage in "illegal interventionist" actions, warning that any repeat of such conduct would draw "fitting" responses.

On July 20, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement that two French embassy officials had been detained and mistreated in Tehran. Calling the incident "shocking," he said he had warned Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi that it "cannot go without consequences."

Araghchi later protested in a phone call with Barrot, saying the two French diplomats' "unconventional" actions "contradicted diplomatic norms and were unacceptable.”