About 1976 Tehran UFO incident
The 1976 Tehran UFO incident was a radar and visual sighting of an unidentified object over Tehran, Iran, on the night of 18–19 September 1976. During the event, the Imperial Iranian Air Force sent two F-4 fighter jets to intercept the object, but both crews experienced instrument and communication failures as they approached it. The event became one of the most cited military UFO cases due to extensive documentation and evaluation by United States and Iranian officials.
- Also known as
- Tehran UFO incident, Tehran incident, Iran 1976
- Date
- Night of 18–19 September 1976
- Place
- Over Tehran, Iran
- Witnesses
- Civilians, air traffic controller Hossein Pirouzi, Gen. Youssefi, two F-4 crews, an airliner crew
- Aircraft
- Two Imperial Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom II interceptors
- Documented by
- USAF memorandum by Lt. Col. Olin Mooy; DIA evaluation; MIJI newsletter
- Location
- Tehran, Iran
The full story, section by section
The story of 1976 Tehran UFO incident in 6 parts. Tap any part to read it in full.
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BackgroundIn 1976 Iran was ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty and was a close ally of the United States.Read this part →
1982 CIA political map of Iran. · Photo: CIA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons -
The sightingLate on the night of 18 September, at least four residents of Tehran telephoned with reports of a bright, shining object over the Shemiran district in the north of the city.Read this part →
Air Force files on the Tehran UFO incident in 1976 (page 3). · Photo: Captain Henry S. Shields, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons -
Reports and documentsThe crews were questioned by Lieutenant General Shapour Azarbarzin, a former commander of the Iranian Air Force.Read this part →
First page of U.S. Air Force files on the Tehran incident. · Photo: Captain Henry S. Shields, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons -
AnalysisThe journalist and skeptic Philip J.Read this part →
An Imperial Iranian Air Force F-4D Phantom II landing with its brake parachute. · Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons -
In ufologyUfologists regard the Tehran incident as one of the most credible cases on record because of the volume of documents and the professional standing of the people involved.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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Later statements and mediaJafari rose to the rank of general.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
Key people
The people at the centre of the story — witnesses, investigators, officials and sceptics:
- Richard HainesRichard F. Haines is an American perceptual psychologist and research scientist who worked at NASA's Ames Research Center from 1967 to 1988 on human factors in aviation and spaceflight. Alongside his…
- James ObergJames Edward Oberg is an American space journalist, historian, and former NASA engineer born in New York City in 1944. During his 22 years at NASA's Johnson Space Center, he specialized in orbital re…
- Leslie KeanLeslie Kean is an American investigative journalist and author known for her reporting on unidentified flying objects and her 2010 best-selling book on the subject. She co-authored a 2017 New York Ti…
- John GreenewaldJohn Greenewald Jr. is an American researcher who founded The Black Vault, an online archive of millions of U.S.
- Bruce MaccabeeBruce S. Maccabee was an American optical physicist and government scientist who became a prominent UFO researcher over five decades. He investigated numerous well-known UFO photographs, films, and r…
- George FilerGeorge Filer is a retired United States Air Force major and intelligence officer who became a prominent UFO researcher. He is best known as a witness to the unverified January 1978 Fort Dix–McGuire i…
Related cases & events
Events and sightings linked to 1976 Tehran UFO incident:
🗓️ Event · 5 min readState Department "no records" reply (1978)In January 1978, the U.S. State Department responded to a Freedom of Information Act request by stating it had no records on UFOs.
📅 Year · 2 min read1976 in UFO historyIn 1976, civilians and military personnel in Tehran reported a visual and radar sighting of an unidentified object that caused instrument, communication, and weapons failures in intercepting aircraft. Additionally, an April 1976 CIA teletype admitted that age…Programs, organizations & documents
The official programs, groups and papers involved:
🏢 Organization · 13 min readU.S. Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the air service branch of the U.S. armed forces that became an independent service in September 1947.
🏢 Organization · 9 min readDefense Intelligence AgencyThe Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is the United States Department of Defense's main military intelligence agency, established in 1961 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It produces a significant portion of the intelligence in the President's Daily Brie…
🏢 Organization · 9 min readNICAPThe National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) was an American civilian UFO research organization active from 1956 to 1980. Directed for many years by Donald Keyhoe, the group campaigned for congressional hearings and argued that the govern…
📄 Document · 13 min readFreedom of Information ActThe Freedom of Information Act is a United States law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1966, requiring federal executive agencies to release records upon request unless they fall under specific exemptions. The statute allows federal courts to …
🏢 Organization · 8 min readMcDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor formed in 1967 by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company. Headquartered in Missouri, the company manufactured various military aircraft, airliners,…
🏢 Organization · 8 min readThe Black VaultThe Black Vault is an American online archive of US government documents founded in 1996 by John Greenewald Jr. It has grown into one of the largest free civilian collections of declassified records on the internet, holding millions of pages obtained through …
🏢 Organization · 8 min readGround Saucer WatchGround Saucer Watch was an American civilian UFO research group based in Phoenix, Arizona, led by William Spaulding. The group is best known for its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed against the Central Intelligence Agency in the late 1970s. The suit f…Related topics & places
Ideas, terms and places that come up in the story:
📖 Term · 17 min readUnidentified flying objectAn unidentified flying object, or UFO, is an unexplained phenomenon or object seen in the sky, with the modern craze originating in the United States in June 1947. While popular culture often equates UFOs with alien spacecraft, most investigations reveal them…
🧭 Topic overview · 12 min readMilitary encounters (topic)This overview covers 72 military encounters with unidentified objects reported by pilots, radar operators, and service members between 1947 and 2022. Key incidents include World War II "foo fighters," the 2004 USS Nimitz "Tic Tac" encounter off southern Calif…🏛️ Official records
- Mission Report, Iran, November 2020Department of War · 2020-11-02This document is a Mission Report (MISREP), a standardized reporting form the U.S. Military uses to record the circumstances surrounding its operations. U.S. military services often use MISREPs to report Unidentified An…
🛸 UFO sightings about Tehran 1976
Sightings that mention 1976 Tehran UFO incident
More in the encyclopedia
Other articles that link to or mention 1976 Tehran UFO incident:
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- Zanfretta UFO incidentThe Zanfretta UFO incident involves a series of claimed alien abductions and encounters reported by night security guard Pier Fortunato Zanfretta in Italy between December 1978 and 1981. Beginning wi…
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Questions & answers
What is 1976 Tehran UFO incident?
1976 Tehran UFO incident: The 1976 Tehran UFO incident was a radar and visual sighting of an unidentified object over Tehran, Iran, on the night of 18–19 September 1976. During the event, the Imperial Iranian Air Force sent two F-4 fighter jets to intercept the object, but both crews experienced instrument and communication failures as they approached it. The event became one of the most cited military UFO cases due to extensive documentation and evaluation by United States and Iranian officials. Read: 1976 Tehran UFO incident →
Where is 1976 Tehran UFO incident?
1976 Tehran UFO incident is in Tehran, Iran. Read: 1976 Tehran UFO incident →
What else is 1976 Tehran UFO incident called?
1976 Tehran UFO incident is also known as Tehran UFO incident, Tehran incident, Iran 1976.
Who is Richard Haines?
Richard Haines: Richard F. Haines is an American perceptual psychologist and research scientist who worked at NASA's Ames Research Center from 1967 to 1988 on human factors in aviation and spaceflight. Alongside his career, he became a prominent collector of pilot reports on unidentified aerial phenomena and helped found the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena in 1999 or 2000 to treat these events as aviation safety issues. Read: Richard Haines →
Who is James Oberg?
James Oberg: James Edward Oberg is an American space journalist, historian, and former NASA engineer born in New York City in 1944. During his 22 years at NASA's Johnson Space Center, he specialized in orbital rendezvous and became a recognized expert on the Russian and Chinese space programs. He is also widely known for writing skeptical analyses that explain spacecraft-related UFO reports as ordinary phenomena like ice, debris, or rocket plumes. Read: James Oberg →
Who is Leslie Kean?
Leslie Kean is an American investigative journalist and author known for her reporting on unidentified flying objects and her 2010 best-selling book on the subject. She co-authored a 2017 New York Times story that revealed the Pentagon's secret Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. Admirers credit her reporting with helping remove the stigma from the subject, while critics argue she has lent respectability to unverified claims. Read: Leslie Kean →
What was State Department "no records" reply (1978)?
State Department "no records" reply (1978): In January 1978, the U.S. State Department responded to a Freedom of Information Act request by stating it had no records on UFOs. Read: State Department "no records" reply (1978) →
What is 1976 in UFO history?
1976 in UFO history: In 1976, civilians and military personnel in Tehran reported a visual and radar sighting of an unidentified object that caused instrument, communication, and weapons failures in intercepting aircraft. Additionally, an April 1976 CIA teletype admitted that agency staff unofficially monitored UFO reports. Read: 1976 in UFO history →
What is U.S. Air Force?
U.S. Air Force: The United States Air Force is the air service branch of the U.S. armed forces that became an independent service in September 1947. Read: U.S. Air Force →
What is Defense Intelligence Agency?
Defense Intelligence Agency: The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is the United States Department of Defense's main military intelligence agency, established in 1961 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It produces a significant portion of the intelligence in the President's Daily Brief and specializes in human intelligence, military intentions of foreign actors, and measurement and signature intelligence. Read: Defense Intelligence Agency →
What is Unidentified flying object?
Unidentified flying object: An unidentified flying object, or UFO, is an unexplained phenomenon or object seen in the sky, with the modern craze originating in the United States in June 1947. While popular culture often equates UFOs with alien spacecraft, most investigations reveal them to be known objects, natural phenomena, hoaxes, or mirages, and no government investigation has ever concluded they are extraterrestrial. Read: Unidentified flying object →
What is Military encounters (topic)?
Military encounters (topic): This overview covers 72 military encounters with unidentified objects reported by pilots, radar operators, and service members between 1947 and 2022. Key incidents include World War II "foo fighters," the 2004 USS Nimitz "Tic Tac" encounter off southern California, and Navy pilot videos made public in 2017. While these sightings often carried weight in the UFO debate, they frequently turned out to have ordinary explanations or lacked a single definitive cause. Read: Military encounters (topic) →