The “1976 Iran Incident” – UFO Encounter over Tehran, Iran

Background

NOTE: This page archives the government documents pertaining to this case, but do not miss the “Vault Files” deep dive in the Case Files section: The Vault Files: 1976 Iran Incident.

The following case is thoroughly documented within the United States Government’s files. It was the first document I had ever received under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and will always remain special to me in that regard. But despite my personal connection, this case remains one of the most interesting cases you can find in official documents.

The document, obtained under the FOIA from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reads as follows (.pdf version):

What was strange about this case, was the fact that the document was “UNCLASSIFIED.”  However, that was not the case for a document that I obtained from the National Security Agency (NSA) which had one major difference: an opening paragraph from a United States Air Force Captain. This document was classified “CONFIDENTIAL.”  The statement read as follows (full .pdf version):

Another great find within the NSA files, was the routing slip for the original intelligence document. On it, it outlines the extreme importance of the case as it “met the criteria for a valid UFO study.” The reasons outlined were the credibility of the witnesses, which included an Air Force General; radar confirmation; electromagnetic effects on THREE seperate aircraft; physiological effect on some crew members; and a UFO which displayed in “inordinate amount of maneuver-ability.”

Although difficult to read in its entirety, here is the relevant portion of the routing slip:

The full document is available below:

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