Javad Fakoori ( fa, جواد فکوری, 3 January 1936 – 29 September 1981) was a prominent military figure who served as the 4th

defence minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

of Iran in September 1980 to August 1981.

Career

Fakoori was a commander of the

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

at the rank of colonel. He entered the Iranian Air Force in 1958 as a fighter pilot of the F-100. He later qualified on the F-4 fighter-bomber in 1967. He commanded a flight, squadron, wing and group of F-4 aircraft during the

Pahlavi regime The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...

. In 1978, he was promoted to colonel and stationed in Tehran as a staff officer. Despite the fact that one of his cousins was a leading member of the MEK and had sought asylum in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

in 1980, he had the confidence of Khomeini and

Rafsanjani Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( fa, اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی, Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī, born Akbar Hashemi Bahramani, 25 August 1934 – 8 January 2017) was an Iranian politician, writer, and one of the founding fathers of the Islami ...

. With the consent of Khomeini, then-president Abolhassan Banisadr appointed him to this post in June 1980. Fakoori was the commander of the Iranian Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War. He also served as the Iranian

from spring 1981 to September 1981. Fakoori replaced Mostafa Chamran as defence minister when the latter died in a plane crash accident during the Iran–Iraq war. Mohammad Salimi replaced Fakoori as defence minister in 1981.

Death

Fakoori and other senior military officials, including Valiollah Fallahi and

Mousa Namjoo Mousa Namjoo (, 17 December 1938 – 29 September 1981) was an Iranian military who served as the minister of defence and armed forces logistics in August to September 1981. Biography Namjoo was born in Bandar-e Anzali on 17 December 1938. He g ...

, were killed in a crash near Tehran on 29 September 1981.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...

made a speech following the incident in which he implied the Mujahedeen Khalq as the perpetrator without clearly condemning the leftist group. Fakoori was posthumously promoted to the rank of major general.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fakouri, Javad 20th-century Iranian politicians 1936 births 1981 deaths Burials at Behesht-e Zahra Iranian aviators Islamic Republic of Iran Army colonels Islamic Republic of Iran Army personnel of the Iran–Iraq War Commanders of Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force People from Tabriz Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Iran