Iran on Saturday accused Qatar of holding three Iranian pilots who went missing after their aircraft were shot down in March, a claim rejected by Doha, as Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Iran’s Missing Persons Committee of the Armed Forces General Staff said the three pilots were captured by Qatar’s military after their jets were downed. Tehran had previously said it had no information about their fate.
Iran also alleged that Qatar had prevented the pilots from communicating with their families and Iranian officials. It appealed to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross for assistance in locating them.
Qatar rejected the allegation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Qatari forces had recovered the remains of one of the pilots after the aircraft were shot down.
He said Iran was invited in April to inspect the search operation but did not respond.
Iranian state media also reported that a fourth pilot was killed during a mission targeting a military base in Qatar.
Tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, an oil tanker operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency reported.
No injuries were reported in Friday evening’s incident, which the UAE described as the third attack on an ADNOC-operated vessel in the strategic waterway within a week.
The United Arab Emirates called on Iran to stop what it described as unprovoked attacks.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre separately reported that a bulk carrier was struck in its hull by an unidentified projectile. It was not immediately clear whether the two incidents involved the same vessel.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the latest conflict, has remained a major flashpoint since the war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon
In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people on Saturday in some of the deadliest attacks since a fragile truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect on June 20.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news agency said an Israeli strike on a house near Ansar killed seven people, including three children, and wounded two others. Another strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed four people and injured 17.
The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah battalion commander and several other militants at a command centre in southern Lebanon, describing the strike as a response to Hezbollah activity targeting Israeli troops.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said three Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded and blamed an explosive drone.
The Israeli military said the commander’s family was at the site but was not the intended target, while Israeli authorities accused him of using family members as human shields.
The strikes came amid a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel aimed at paving the way for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations and was not party to the agreement.
Houthi attack escalates Yemen tensions
In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked the government-controlled Red Sea port of Mokha, killing at least three people, including two marines, Yemeni authorities said.
The attack on Friday evening also forced the suspension of port operations, according to port director Abdul-Malik al-Sharabi.
Yemeni military spokesperson Col Majed al-Nazili said the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the port.
The attack was the latest escalation by the Houthis against government-held areas and neighbouring Saudi Arabia, raising concerns that the conflict could push Yemen back into a wider civil war.
Analysts say the escalation is part of Iran’s broader effort to increase pressure on the United States and its regional allies.
