Iran-Qatar Dispute over Pilots: Tehran Claims Capture

On Sunday, Iranian military official Mohammad Baqerzadeh called on Qatar to allow an Iranian team into the country to investigate the fate of pilots who, according to Tehran, are being held by the Qatari military. The acting commander accused Qatari authorities of repeatedly delaying the investigation and called for swift intervention by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

He also accused Kuwait of withholding information about four members of the Revolutionary Guards detained in Kuwaiti waters.

Qatar denies detaining any pilots. Doha said its rescue teams found only the remains of one pilot after an Iranian aircraft that violated Qatari airspace in March failed to respond to calls. Qatar claims it repeatedly contacted Tehran regarding the handover of the body but received no response.

In a related case, Kuwait also rejects Iran's claim that the incident involved a routine naval patrol, saying it suspects the four detainees of planning hostile acts against the state.

(Reuters, Max)