Updated

Iran publicly called on Qatar to release three Iranian pilots it says were shot down and captured during the ongoing war, escalating a dispute between Tehran and one of the Gulf states that has been acting as a mediator in the conflict. Qatar rejected the claim on Saturday, August 15, with a foreign ministry spokesperson stating on X that it is not detaining any Iranian pilots. Doha said the aircrew had violated Qatari airspace earlier this year, in March, and failed to respond to repeated attempts to contact them. The Qatari spokesperson added that search and rescue teams subsequently recovered the remains of one of the pilots and that Doha had contacted Tehran to coordinate a handover, but said Iran had not yet responded to an invitation to review the case. Separately, the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of launching a fresh strike on one of its ships in the Strait of Hormuz, adding to friction between Iran and its Gulf neighbours as the conflict continues. The competing accounts underscore the strain on Iran's relations with the Gulf states it has relied on for indirect contacts with Washington.