The Tehran UFO Event (1976) – The Fighter Jet Incident

Short description of the event
On the night of September 18-19, 1976, an extremely bright UFO was sighted over Tehran, exhibiting unusual flight maneuvers. The Iranian Air Force dispatched two F-4 Phantom jets to intercept the object. Both fighter jets experienced unexplained failures of their onboard electronics and weapons systems upon approach. The incident was documented by the military, confirmed by radar recordings, and later classified as "unexplained" in a report by the US intelligence agency DIA.

When and where did this all happen?
The incident occurred on the night of September 18-19, 1976, over the airspace of Tehran, Iran. Among those involved were military radar stations and Tehran's air surveillance center.

Main features of the event
Numerous civilian and military observers reported a bright object moving at extreme speed and appearing on radar. Two Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom jets were dispatched for an intercept mission. The first jet's entire onboard electronics—radio, instruments, and control systems—failed upon approach, failing only to resume operation after the mission was aborted. The second jet lost its weapons systems while attempting to target the object with a missile. A smaller object also detached itself from the main UFO, briefly tracked the jet, and then returned. The observed maneuvers were beyond the capabilities of conventional technology.

Investigation and clarification attempts
The incident was investigated by the military and intelligence agencies. The US intelligence agency DIA later published a report describing the event as "extraordinary" and without conventional explanation. The Iranian Air Force documented the incident in its logs, and several radar systems—both civilian and military—confirmed the sighting. Skeptics suspect a misinterpretation of celestial bodies such as Jupiter or random technical malfunctions on the jets, unrelated to a UFO.

List of the most credible witnesses
The key witnesses include General Yousefi, who gave the order for the interception mission, and the two F-4 pilots – including Parviz Jafari, who later spoke publicly about the incident. Both independently reported system failures and visual contact with the object. In addition, several Iranian Air Force radar operators confirmed the object on their devices.

Conclusion on credibility
The case is exceptionally well-documented through high-ranking military witnesses, radar-based confirmation, and an international intelligence assessment. The simultaneous system failures on two jets and the non-human flight maneuvers significantly increase its credibility.

Credibility: High – Comprehensively documented incident with credible military witnesses and technical confirmation, even if physical evidence is lacking.