In the early morning hours of September 19, 1976, a series of dramatic radar and visual sightings of an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) occurred over Tehran, Iran. Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) F-4 Phantom II jets were scrambled to intercept the brilliantly lit object, leading to instrument failures, radar locks, and an influential U.S. intelligence report.1 This incident is considered one of the most significant military encounters with anomalous phenomena due to the multiple forms of corroborating evidence and credible witnesses.2
The Intercept
The incident began around 12:30 AM when citizens reported strange objects in the sky, prompting the scrambling of an F-4 Phantom II jet. As the first F-4 approached the object, which was visible from 70 miles away due to its brilliance, the aircraft lost all instrumentation and communications at a range of about 25 nautical miles. A second F-4, piloted by Lt. Parviz Jafari, was then launched and acquired a radar lock on the object at 27 nautical miles. Jafari described the object as flashing with intense blue, green, red, and orange lights, so bright that its body was not visible.3 As Jafari approached, his communications and weapons control panel went dead, preventing him from firing a missile. A smaller, bright object then separated from the primary UAP and headed directly towards Jafari's F-4, forcing him to take evasive action before it rejoined the main object.4
Investigation and Analysis
The episode was logged by Iranian air traffic controllers and documented in a highly-rated U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report, which highlighted multiple witness accounts, radar-visual correlation, repeatable electromagnetic effects, and apparent advanced maneuverability.5 The radar data from Jafari's Phantom tracked a solid return matching a Boeing 707 until the target performed instant acceleration. Witnesses described the object as having a diamond-shaped core with rapidly flashing multicolored strobes. The report noted that the object's kinematics, including instantaneous acceleration, right-angle turns, and hover-to-dash capability, were well beyond 1970s fighter performance.6
Aftermath and Debate
The incident was reported to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff on the same day, and the DIA called it an "outstanding report" and a "classic" case for UFO study.7 While alternative explanations such as misidentified celestial bodies or equipment malfunctions have been proposed, no conventional scenario fully reproduces the combined radar, visual, and electromagnetic data reported. The Tehran case is frequently cited in governmental briefings as an example of historical sensor-based encounters, and retired Gen. Jafari has consistently reiterated his account, insisting the object displayed technology far superior to the F-4.8