Ghafour Jeddi Ardabili () was an Iranian
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...
fighter pilot
A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...
in the
Air Force
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. He played a significant role in the early months of the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
by halting the advancement of Iraqi tanks into the Western Iran. A statue in honor of him is placed in
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
and in his hometown of
Ardabil
Ardabil (, ) is a city in northwestern Iran. It is in the Central District (Ardabil County), Central District of Ardabil County, Ardabil province, Ardabil province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district.
The ...
.
Early life
He was born in
Ardabil
Ardabil (, ) is a city in northwestern Iran. It is in the Central District (Ardabil County), Central District of Ardabil County, Ardabil province, Ardabil province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district.
The ...
in 1945. After finishing school, he was accepted into Iran's Air Force University and was sent to the United States of America for training in 1969.
Iran–Iraq war
There is a famous quote which Jeddi made at the start of
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
after suggestions from his friends to leave Iran, to which he is said to have replied, "The Government paid for us in peace status for these days."
Death
In the first 45 days of the war, he flew more than 80 missions. In his last mission near
Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
, he attacked more than 40 camouflaged Iraqi tanks from Iraq's 9th Armour Division and was successful in eliminating the entire division. His aircraft was damaged by fire from Iraqi forces, but he was able to fly back into Iranian territory. However, his jet crashed in a region between
Mahshahr
Bandar-e Mahshahr () is a city in the Central District of Bandar Mahshahr County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
فارسی
Most of its people speak a dialect that was a mixture of South ...
and
Abadan
Abadan (; ) is a city in the Central District (Abadan County), Central District of Abadan County, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is in the southwest of the coun ...
and he was forced to eject. His parachute failed to work and he died in 1980 at the age of 35.
Ghafour Jeddi death
/ref>
See also
*Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
*List of Iranian commanders in the Iran–Iraq War
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
Notes
References
Ghafour Jeddi
in Islamic Republic of Iran Army
The Islamic Republic of Iran Army (), acronymed AJA (), commonly simplified as the Iranian Army, is the conventional military of Iran and part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces. It is tasked to protect the territorial integrity of th ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeddi, Ghafour
1945 births
1980 deaths
1980 in Iran
Iranian military aviators
Islamic Republic of Iran Army personnel of the Iran–Iraq War
Iranian military personnel killed in the Iran–Iraq War
Iran–Iraq War pilots
People from Ardabil