Type: Intelligence Report
Source: U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency
The 1976 Tehran UFO incident was a famous military encounter on September 19, 1976, where two Imperial Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantoms reported severe electronic and weapons system failures after attempting to intercept a brightly glowing, unidentified object over the capital. The encounter triggered a detailed, four-page declassified Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report that circulated to the White House, CIA, and NSA. The event featured the following details:Initial Sightings: At around 12:30 AM, multiple civilians reported a brilliant, flashing object over the Shemiran area of Tehran. Radar & Intercept: After the object was confirmed on military radar, an F-4 was scrambled. As the jet approached, it suffered a total loss of communications and instrumentation, forcing the pilot to abort and return to base, at which point normal function immediately returned. Weapon Systems Failure: A second F-4 was deployed and managed to lock onto the object with its radar. The pilot, Lt. Parviz Jafari, reported that the craft released smaller, glowing objects. When he prepared to fire a Sidewinder missile, his jet's weapons systems, communications, and electronic instruments suddenly shut down. Explanations: The DIA classified the event as an "outstanding" ufological case. However, skeptics and investigators attribute the sightings to astronomical phenomena (such as the planet Jupiter or Venus), atmospheric anomalies, and equipment issues