The Iran - Iraq War Iranian POWS

The Iran - Iraq War Iranian POWS
1980 - 1988

Following the Iraqi Invasion of Iran, begun by air strikes on 22nd September 1980, the Iranian Air Force's response was swift and effective.

In the following eight years of conflict many Iranian aircraft were shot down and the pilots and crews found themselves captives of the Iraqi regime. The majority of them had ejected.

Similar to the situation that had developed in Vietnam, early in the war, Iranian pilots and crews became Prisoners of War - POWs. The fate of some was unclear and they were listed as Missing in Action. For others they had made the ultimate sacrifice and had Died in Combat.

This section of the web site , in a similar way to the sections on South East Asia Conflict, tries to identify those pilots who became Prisoners [POWs,] those listed (and some still are) listed as Missing in Action [MIAs].

Echoing the experiences at the end of the Vietnam War many prisoners "came home" - but there were those, known to have been POWs, who did not, and their fate is still a matter of speculation.

In 1984 the International Red Cross visited some of the known Iraqi POW Camps that held Iranian aircrews. The Iraqis were keen to show themselves as "humane" and caring of their captives and allowed photographs of the POWs to be taken.

The following photographs are well known but this is, I believe, the first time that an attempt in English, has been made to identify those shown and also list others who were kept "hidden".

Some POWs were not released until 1990


Key	Name (& Rank at time of Capture)	Aircraft	Crew	Status		Date of Capture
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11	Capt Salavati	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	Nov 1980
#12	Capt. Loghman Nejad	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980

PHOTO No. 1

photo courtesy of the IIAF.net

These photograph was taken in 1984 by the Iraqis at Salahedin camp, near Takrit, Iraq, in response to the visit of the International Red Cross who were viewing the state of Iranian Prisoners held by the Iraqis. Most of the above are members of the Air Force.


Key	Name (& Rank at time of Capture)	Aircraft	Crew	Status		Date of Capture
#1	Maj. Ravadgar	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	Feb 1982
#2	Capt. Loghman Nejad	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980
#3	Capt. Khatam	F-5E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980
#4	Lt. Kouh Payeh	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	Feb 1981
#5	Capt. Abdoos	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	Nov 1980
#6	Capt. Azhari	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	Oct 1980
#7	Capt Asdolah Akbari	F5E		ejected	captured	Oct1980
#8	Capt. Labibi	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	Feb 1981
#9	Capt. Karimi Nia	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	Sept 1980
#10	Lt. Pouyan Far	F-5E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980
#11	Lt. Ghaderi	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	1980
#12	Capt Salavati	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	Nov 1980
#13	Major Dehkhar	F-5E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980
#14	Lt. Mehrasebi	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	1980
#15
#16	Capt. Sefid Pey	F-4E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980
#17	Lt. Kazemian	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	1982
#18	Lt. Hatamian	F-5E	pilot	ejected	captured	1980
#19	Lt. Afzali	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	1982
#20	Lt. Mokri	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	1980
#21
#22	Lt. Hossein Nejadi	F-4E	B/S	ejected	captured	1980

PHOTO No. 2

Help on addition notes to clarify the fate of the following Pilots and Crews appreciated
Those written in red were in captivity but were not shown to the RED CROSS in 1984

F-4 Phantom & F-5 Crews in Captivity at Salahedin Camp


Captain Abdoos F-4E pilot	Lt. Afzali F-4E B/S	Captain Asdolah Akbari F-5 pilot	Captain Azhari F-4E pilot	Lt Ghaderi F-4E B/S

Major Dehkhar Ghani F-5E pilot	Lt Pouyan Far F-5E pilot	Lt. Hatamian F-5E pilot	Captain Karimi Nia F-4E pilot	Lt Kazemian F-4E B/S

Captain Khatam F-5E pilot	Captain Labibi F-4E pilot	Lt. Mehrasebi F-4E B/S	Lt. Mokri F-4E B/S	Captain Loghman Nejad F-4E pilot

Lt. Hossein_Nejadi F-4E B/S	Captain Sefid Pay F-4E pilot	Lt. Kouh Payeh F-4E B/S	Major Ravadgar F-4E pilot	Captain Salavati F-4E B/S

Lt Vaziri

F-4 Phantom Crews in Captivity

Loss Date

Pilot

Back Seater (RIO)

Lt Col MAHMOODI

Lt Heidari

27th September 1980

Capt SOHEILI

Lt Vaziri

Maj SHIRVIN

Capt Salavati

Capt AHMADI

Lt ALIREZAEI

FEEDBACK

As you may be care to know, AHMADI was very good F-4 pilot and during the war after flying almost every day for some months, his aircraft was shot-down and he had to punch-out and was captured by Iraqis

He was a POW until two years after the cease-fire. When at last he came back to Iran, on the way to Shiraz to visit his family, he died in a road car accident and never saw them!

in email 10th September 2009

shot down 20th December 1980

Capt MOHAMMAD YOUSEF AHMADBEYGI

Lt Hossein Nejadi

Capt ZOLFAGHARI

Lt AZAMI

Capt FALLAHI

Lt MOHAMAD ALI KIANI
Mohammad Ali Kiyani

Capt SALMAN

Lt Movahedian Killed

Capt BOORANI

Lt Basirat

ejected captured 1991 returned 1994

Col AMINI

Lt SHARIFI

F5E Pilots in Captivity


Lt ALIMORADI	Lt JAMSHID OWSHALL [OOSHAL]	Capt ESKANDARI	Lt LASHGARI returned in 1998	Lt MOHAMMADI

Capt ELMI	Capt KOTTAB	Capt YAZD	Capt SAMANDARIAN	Capt ADIBI

Helicopter pilots In captivity

Lt Sabezevari Lt MESRI Lt MORADI Lt KALANTARI

Other F-4 POWS (POW Camp not confirmed)

Capt. Ghaffari Lt. Col. Abolghasem Abiri
Ejected captured 1985

1983

In 1983 an F4E was flown to and landed in Iraq. B/S Lt Sehati was taken as a POW

An F-14 flown to Iraq The B/S Lt Najafi ejected himself and pilot during the landing which resulted in the aircraft being destroyed.
Najafi was kept as a POW in solitary confinement for 3 years

Civil Falcon 20 was flown to and landed in Iraq. Co-pilot Nazarinia was taken as POW

13th - 14th September 1990

All senior officers and pilot POW`s released

?? ?? 1991

IS DATE CORRECT

IRIAF

F-4E
CONFIRM ??

special mission two years after the cease fire

Lt Col Amini
ejected, captured, POW
[released 1998]

Capt Sharifi B/S
ejected, captured, POW
[released 1998]

Was the mission to attack positions in Iraq occupied by Iranians opposed to the Islamic Government ???

April 1998

Two Iranian Air Force pilots were returned to Iran after 18 years in captivity. Both were promoted to the rank of brigadier general on their release

Hossein Lashkari, whose plane was shot down

soon after the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980

Col. Mohammad Amini