Qatar denies claims of detaining Iranian pilots

Qatar on Saturday denied claims that it had detained Iranian pilots, describing them as misleading amid ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.

"We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots and are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said in a post on social media platform X.

Al Ansari said contact had been established with the pilots concerned after they violated Qatari airspace and authorities confirmed the trajectory of the targeting.

The spokesperson said search and rescue teams later found the remains of ‌one of the pilots and that it had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.

An Iranian military commander said earlier that Qatari forces captured three Iranian pilots whose fighter jets were shot down when returning from a military mission against a US base in Qatar in March.

The commander noted that one of the four Iranian pilots in the jets died and that the rest were captured alive by Qatari forces. The Iranian pilots were not allowed to contact their families, and the relevant authorities were also prevented from following up on their cases, he said.

The body of the slain Iranian pilot, Majid Kazemi, was returned to Iran and buried in the southern city of Shiraz in late July.

Strait of Hormuz shipping deadlock continues

Progress toward peace talks and oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz remained stalled, with no sign the warring parties were moving toward ending the conflict.

Trump said on Friday that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after "defeating Iran," according to remarks made at a political rally.

"This strait will be opened and closed only under Iran's command, and so long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on X.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that talks between Iran and Oman are still making active progress, with the two sides having reached an agreement on arrangements for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran had not decided to resume talks with the US, he said, adding that Washington must meet conditions on the strait for shipping to resume in the waterway.

Israel-Lebanon conflict intensifies

Hezbollah on Saturday called on the Lebanese authorities to stop pursuing direct negotiations with Israel, describing the talks as "humiliating."

In a statement following Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon earlier in the day, the group accused Israel of continuing a campaign of attacks against Lebanese civilians, homes and agricultural areas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on the same day that it killed a commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force during overnight strikes in southern Lebanon.

The IDF said the militant was identified as Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in the unit. It added that he was struck in Hezbollah's headquarters in the town of Ansar, Nabatieh District, in response to an attack on Israeli forces operating in the "security zone."

At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the Lebanese ‌health ministry said. The strikes were some of the deadliest in the weeks since the country agreed to a US-mediated peace framework with Israel.

(With input from agencies)