Tehran UFO Incident

September 19, 1976 — Tehran, Iran

The Sighting

In the early morning hours of September 19, 1976, residents of Tehran reported a bright light in the sky to the Iranian Air Force command post. The object appeared as a brilliant, pulsating light that changed colors — blue, green, red, and orange — and was visible to the naked eye from a distance of over 70 miles.

First Intercept

An F-4 Phantom II was scrambled from Shahrokhi Air Force Base. As the pilot approached the object at a range of 25 nautical miles, all instrumentation and communications ceased functioning. The pilot broke off the approach, and upon turning away from the object, all systems immediately restored to normal operation.

Second Intercept

A second F-4 was launched. Lieutenant Parviz Jafari acquired the object on radar at 27 nautical miles. As he closed in, a smaller, brilliant object detached from the main UFO and accelerated directly toward his aircraft at high speed. Jafari attempted to fire an AIM-9 missile, but his weapons control panel and communications simultaneously failed. He executed a sharp diving turn to evade. The smaller object reversed course and rejoined the main body.

DIA Assessment

A US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment of the incident, obtained through FOIA, rated it as meeting all criteria for a legitimate study of the UFO phenomenon. The document noted the credibility of the witnesses, visual confirmation from multiple locations, radar confirmation, electromagnetic effects on multiple aircraft systems, and the extreme maneuverability of the objects.