The Tehran F-4 Phantom Intercept (1976)

In the early morning hours of September 19, 1976, the Imperial Iranian Air Force scrambled two F-4 Phantom II jets to intercept a brilliant unidentified object over Tehran. As the fighters approached, their instruments and communications failed. When Major Parviz Jafari attempted to fire an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile at an approaching smaller object, his weapons systems went completely dead. The incident was documented in a three-page message to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Defense Intelligence Agency called it “a classic which meets all the criteria necessary for a valid study of the UFO phenomenon.”

Background

Initial Reports

How it started:

• Multiple civilian reports of bright object over Tehran
• Beginning approximately 10:30 PM (September 18)
• At least four civilian witnesses initially
• Imperial Iranian Air Force contacted
• Mehrebad International Airport confirmed visual sighting
• Tower radar was under repair - visual confirmation only initially

Air Force Response

The decision:

• Reports deemed credible
• Aircraft ordered to investigate
• F-4 Phantom II selected
• Night intercept mission
• From Shahrokhi Air Force Base

First Intercept Attempt

Lieutenant Yaddi Nazeri

First scramble:

• Dispatched from Shahrokhi AFB
• Approached object from approximately 70 miles out
• Object clearly visible
• Brilliant light source
• Prepared for intercept

System Failures

What happened at 25 nautical miles:

• All instrumentation failed
• Communications lost completely
• Aircraft systems dead
• No electrical function
• Pilot forced to break off

Withdrawal

The retreat:

• Nazeri turned away from object
• As distance increased, systems restored
• Full function returned
• Reported failures to base
• Pattern noted

Second Intercept

Major Parviz Jafari

Squadron commander responds:

• Veteran pilot
• First Lieutenant Jalal Damirian as co-pilot
• Second F-4 Phantom launched
• More aggressive approach planned
• Better equipped

Radar Lock

Initial success:

• Acquired radar lock at 27 nautical miles
• Solid return
• Object tracked
• Size compared to Boeing KC-135 tanker
• Large target

Visual Description

What Jafari saw:

• “Flashing with intense red, green, orange and blue lights”
• “So bright that I was not able to see its body”
• Strobing rapidly
• Brilliant intensity
• Structured object visible between flashes

The Engagement

Approach

Closing on target:

• Jafari continued approach
• Communications systems shut off
• Same pattern as first aircraft
• But pressed on
• Within weapons range

The Smaller Object

Attack run:

• Smaller object emerged from primary UFO
• Approached F-4 at high speed
• Headed directly for aircraft
• Jafari made instant decision
• Attempted to fire AIM-9 Sidewinder missile

Weapons Disabled

The critical moment:

• Attempted to launch missile
• Weapons systems completely disabled
• Fire control dead
• No electrical function to weapons
• Defenseless

Evasive Action

Response:

• Jafari broke away in steep dive
• Evasive maneuvers
• Smaller object did not follow attack
• Returned to primary craft
• Merged with larger object

Second Smaller Object

Continued encounter:

• Another smaller object descended from primary UFO
• Headed toward ground at high speed
• Appeared to land
• Later search found C-141 aircraft beacon transponder at site
• Coincidence or connection unknown

Electromagnetic Effects

Multiple Aircraft Affected

The pattern:

• Both F-4s experienced failures
• Communication failures confirmed
• Weapons systems disabled on second aircraft
• Nearby civilian airliner also experienced radio failure
• Pattern consistent

Range Dependent

The observation:

• Systems failed when close to object
• Restored when aircraft moved away
• Consistent across multiple platforms
• Deliberate or inherent effect
• Technology beyond understanding

Documentation

U.S. Reporting

American involvement:

• Three-page message sent to U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Day of incident
• Detailed account
• High-priority distribution

DIA Report

Defense Intelligence Agency evaluation: “An outstanding report. This case is a classic which meets all the criteria necessary for a valid study of the UFO phenomenon: a) The object was seen by multiple witnesses from different locations b) The credibility of many of the witnesses was high (an Air Force General, qualified aircrews, and experienced tower operators) c) Visual sightings were confirmed by radar d) Similar electromagnetic effects were reported by three separate aircraft e) There were physiological effects on some crew members f) An inordinate amount of maneuverability was displayed by the UFO”

Wide Distribution

Who received reports:

• White House
• Secretary of State
• Joint Chiefs of Staff
• National Security Agency
• Central Intelligence Agency
• Defense Intelligence Agency

High-Level Briefings

Iranian Military

Command involvement:

• General Nader Yousefi ordered intercepts
• General Mahmoud Sabahat attended briefings
• Highest levels of Iranian military involved
• Case taken seriously
• Full investigation ordered

U.S. Presence

American involvement:

• General John Secord (USAF mission chief in Iran) attended briefing
• Lieutenant Colonel Olin Mooy produced detailed USAF report
• U.S. military closely monitored
• Intelligence priority

Primary Object Departure

Final Observations

How it ended:

• Primary object eventually departed
• Extreme speed
• Toward east
• Lost from view
• Encounter concluded

Aircraft Recovery

Return to base:

• Both F-4s returned safely
• Pilots debriefed
• Reports filed
• Equipment checked
• Damage assessed

Skeptical Explanations

Philip Klass

Skeptic’s position:

• Pilots saw Jupiter or bright star
• Equipment failures due to known F-4 issues
• First aircraft had maintenance problems
• Misidentification

Meteor Theory

Alternative explanation:

• Brian Dunning: Incident occurred during Gamma Piscids and Southern Piscids meteor showers
• Bright meteors possible
• Radar anomalies explained as propagation effects
• Does not explain weapons lock-out

Problems with Explanations

Counterarguments:

• Jupiter doesn’t disable aircraft systems
• Meteors don’t hover
• Radar locked on target
• Multiple trained pilots
• System failures correlate with approach

Analysis

Evidence Quality

DIA assessment elements:

• Multiple witnesses at different locations
• High credibility (Air Force General, pilots, tower operators)
• Visual confirmed by radar
• Electromagnetic effects on three aircraft
• Physiological effects on crew
• Extreme maneuverability demonstrated

Weapons System Failure

The key event:

• Pilot attempted to fire missile
• Weapons systems instantaneously disabled
• Defensive capability removed
• Object could have destroyed aircraft
• Chose not to

Technology Implications

What was demonstrated:

• Ability to disable military aircraft
• Selective system targeting
• Non-destructive interdiction
• Superiority over advanced fighters
• Deliberate, controlled response

Legacy

Classification

The Guardian ranking:

• Named in Guardian’s “Top 10 UFO sightings” (2013)
• Considered among most credible military encounters
• Documentation extensive
• Witness quality exceptional

Continued Study

Ongoing significance:

• Case studied by researchers worldwide
• Template for military encounter analysis
• Evidence quality set standard
• Multiple-witness military case
• Government documentation preserved

The Question

September 19, 1976. Tehran.

The calls start coming around 10:30. Civilians seeing something bright over the city. The Air Force is notified. Mehrebad tower confirms - they can see it too.

Send the jets.

First F-4. Lieutenant Nazeri. He approaches. Twenty-five miles out. Everything goes dead. Instruments. Radio. Everything.

He turns away. Systems come back. Something doesn’t want him close.

Second F-4. Major Jafari. Squadron commander. He’s going in.

He gets radar lock at 27 miles. The object is the size of a KC-135 tanker. Massive. Flashing red, green, orange, blue. So bright he can’t see the structure behind the lights.

He closes.

His communications die. Same pattern.

Then something new.

A smaller object detaches from the main craft. It comes straight at him. Fast.

Jafari does what fighter pilots do. He arms his Sidewinder. Prepares to fire.

And everything stops.

Weapons systems dead. Fire control dead. He can’t launch. He’s helpless.

He dives. Evades. The smaller object returns to its parent craft. It didn’t attack. It just showed him that it could.

The Defense Intelligence Agency calls this case “a classic which meets all the criteria necessary for a valid study of the UFO phenomenon.”

The report goes to the White House. The Secretary of State. The Joint Chiefs. The NSA. The CIA.

This is serious.

Two F-4 Phantom IIs. The backbone of American air power. Disabled at will. Weapons locked out.

September 19, 1976.

Tehran.

The jets couldn’t catch it.

The missiles couldn’t fire.

The object left when it was ready.

Still classified as unexplained.

Still impossible.

Still the best-documented military UFO encounter in history.

And still no answer.