Doha: Commander of Iran's Missing-in-Action Search Committee Brigadier General Mohammad Bagherzadeh has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to send an air ambulance to Qatar to facilitate the urgent return of the Iranian pilots held there, whom he said are severely injured and in bad health conditions.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, General Bagherzadeh welcomed Qatar's decision to receive an Iranian expert team and called for the necessary cooperation to be provided. He emphasized the unsuitable condition of the location where the Iranian prisoners are being held on water, urging the Qatari government to transfer them to land and an adequately equipped hospital to protect their health.

Bagherzadeh also mentioned Kuwait's preliminary agreement to allow Iran's ambassador to meet four Iranian prisoners held in the country, noting that this move had created 'a glimmer of hope' for their swift release. He appealed to Kuwait to respect the rights of prisoners of war in accordance with the four Geneva Conventions and to facilitate initial communication between the detainees and their families.

The Iranian official further urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to advocate for the swift release of the Iranian prisoners and to enable them to establish video communication with their families, similar to an initiative undertaken for families of Guantanamo detainees. Bagherzadeh called on the Red Cross office for Arab countries to lead in pursuing the matter and to make the necessary efforts.