New Delhi, Aug. 16 -- Three Iranian bomber pilots went down over Qatar in March. Six months later, Tehran names them publicly and says they are alive. Doha has returned one man's remains and insists it holds no one else.

Qatar shot down the aircraft but has also spent years cultivating working ties with Tehran while simultaneously hosting the largest American military base in the Middle East.

Doha's response was unequivocal. Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said the claims were false. "We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots and are surprised by these misleading statements," he said. Qatar had, al-Ansari added, coordinated directly with Iranian authorities to repa...