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Iran has called on Qatar to allow an Iranian investigation team into the country to determine the fate of pilots Tehran says remain unaccounted for, adding another point of tension to already strained regional relations.
Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of Iran’s Committee for the Search for Missing Persons, said an Iranian Air Force expert and fact-finding team had waited for months to enter Qatar. He accused Qatari officials of delaying the investigation and urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to follow up on the case.
Qatar has rejected claims that it holds Iranian pilots. Doha said its search and rescue teams found the remains of one pilot after Iranian aircraft entered Qatari airspace in March and failed to respond to repeated attempts to contact them.
Qatari authorities said they contacted Iran to arrange the handover of the remains. They also invited Iranian officials to review details of the search operation but said Tehran had not responded.
Baqerzadeh also claimed that Kuwait had withheld information about four Iranians allegedly held there.
Iran’s Armed Forces meanwhile vowed to continue resisting the United States and Israel until what they described as the “complete defeat” of their enemies and the fulfilment of the Iranian people’s demands.
In a statement marking the anniversary of the return of Iranian prisoners of war from the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, the General Staff praised former prisoners and war veterans. It described their experience as a symbol of resistance and national resilience.
The statement said younger generations had inherited the wartime experience and continued to support resistance against foreign pressure. Iran’s military leadership also praised public support for the armed forces and reaffirmed its commitment to what it described as the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.
An official from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said more than 85% of the force’s air defence production capacity remained intact during the conflict.
According to Iranian media reports, the official said attacks damaged parts of Iran’s military production infrastructure but did not reduce the production and delivery of missiles and air defence systems.
He said some production areas had increased output and claimed Iran’s operational air defence position was stronger than it had been at the beginning of the fighting.
Iran’s parliament was also due to hold a virtual session to examine legislation concerning foreign influence and management of the Strait of Hormuz.
Members of the National Security Committee were expected to review a proposed “Smart Management Plan” for the strategic waterway. Lawmakers were also due to consider legislation targeting international crimes.
The development follows Iran’s announcement that it had reached an agreement with Oman on a proposed shipping route map for the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of technical discussions.
Meanwhile, Israel said it had killed a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military identified the man as Abu Hassan Alaa and described him as a senior commander in Hezbollah’s “Badder Unit”. It said the strike targeted a Hezbollah headquarters in the Ansar area.
Israel said the operation followed what it described as Hezbollah activity against Israeli forces in a designated security zone.
Hezbollah had not immediately commented on the Israeli claim.
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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi again rejected US claims regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the strategic waterway remained under Iranian authority and argued that Iran alone could decide when to open or close it.
Gharibabadi accused Washington of suffering what he called serious strategic defeats and warned that Iran would continue enforcing restrictions while the United States maintained what Tehran describes as pressure and threats.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also used social media to respond to comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump. He accompanied the statements with a Homer Simpson meme that appeared to mock their remarks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman remained separate from any decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He described the talks as technical discussions focused on establishing new maritime routes because routes used previously were no longer functioning.
Araghchi said Iran and Oman could reach an agreement soon but stressed that a technical agreement on navigation routes would not automatically mean the reopening of the waterway.
Iranian officials have repeatedly linked the restoration of normal commercial traffic to what they describe as an end to US military pressure, threats and naval restrictions.
Baqaei said Iran and Oman had reached an agreement on a shipping route map after several weeks of intensive technical negotiations.
He said the two countries began discussions following a June 18 memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing safe navigation routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Baqaei, Iranian defence, security and environmental authorities participated in the coordination process. He said some outstanding issues remained before Tehran and Muscat could finalise the arrangement.
The spokesman described the agreement as an independent arrangement between the two coastal states designed to support safe navigation while respecting their sovereignty.
However, Tehran maintains that the full restoration of security and normal commercial shipping depends on the United States ending what Iran calls unlawful interference, military threats and its naval blockade.
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz remains closely tied to the wider confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel, with developments over navigation, military activity and diplomatic contacts continuing to shape the regional situation.
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