Iran has expressed concern over the health of Iranian pilots detained in Qatar, claiming they are being held on a vessel and calling for their immediate transfer to a hospital on land.

Mohammad Bagherzadeh, commander of the Missing Persons Search Committee under Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, made the appeal on Saturday (August 22), Reuters reported, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

Bagherzadeh said the location where the detained Iranian pilots are being held is unsuitable for their accommodation and medical care. According to him, the pilots are currently being held on a ship or other vessel on the water, and their health conditions are deteriorating.

He urged that the detained pilots be brought ashore in Qatar as soon as possible and provided with hospital treatment. He also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to take steps to repatriate sick and injured detainees to Iran without delay.

Bagherzadeh further said the process of returning the pilots to Iran should be expedited given their health conditions. He also urged the ICRC to arrange for an air ambulance to be sent to Qatar for the purpose.

However, the Tasnim report did not provide details on the exact number of pilots detained, their precise location, or the circumstances under which they came into Qatari custody. It also did not mention any statement from the Qatari government regarding the matter.

Source: Arab News