An Iranian military official has urged Qatar to allow an Iranian team to investigate the fate of pilots Tehran says Qatari forces captured.
Qatar denies holding any Iranian pilots and said its search teams recovered one pilot’s remains after Iranian aircraft violated its airspace in March.
Doha said the aircraft failed to respond to repeated contact attempts before the incident, according to Iranian media reports.
Qatar also said it contacted Iran to coordinate the remains’ handover and invited Tehran to review its search and rescue operations.
However, Doha said Iran had not responded to the invitation.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff Committee for Missing Persons, said an Iranian team had awaited entry for months.
He accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation and preventing the pilots’ return to Iran.
Baqerzadeh also urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, he claimed Kuwait was withholding information about four Iranians detained there.
Iran Parliament Targets Hostile Media Interviews
Separately, Iran’s parliament approved a bill criminalising interviews and communications with media outlets considered hostile to the Islamic Republic.
The bill covers US and Israeli media organizations and outlets financed by either country, according to Iranian newspaper Shargh.
However, the proposed legislation still requires approval from the Guardian Council before becoming law.
If enacted, violations could result in prison sentences ranging from six months to two years.
