Javad Fakoori

Javad Fakoori (Persian: جواد فکوری; 3 January 1936 – 29 September 1981) was a prominent military figure who served as the 4th defence minister of Iran in September 1980 to August 1981.

Javad Fakoori
Born(1936-01-03)3 January 1936
Tabriz, Pahlavi Iran
Died29 September 1981(1981-09-29) (aged 45)
Kahrizak, Iran
AllegianceIran
Service/branchAir Force
Years of service1958–1981
RankColonel[1]
Commands held2nd Tactical Air Base
1st Tactical Air Base
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Battles/wars
Awards Order of Nasr
Minister of National Defense
In office
10 September 1980  17 August 1981
Prime MinisterMohammad-Ali Rajai
Preceded byMostafa Chamran
Succeeded byMousa Namjoo

Career

Fakoori was a commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force at the rank of colonel. He entered the Iranian Air Force in 1958 as a fighter pilot of the F-100. He later qualified on the F-4 fighter-bomber in 1967. He commanded a flight, squadron, wing and group of F-4 aircraft during the Pahlavi regime. In 1978, he was promoted to colonel and stationed in Tehran as a staff officer. Despite the fact that one of his cousins was a leading member of the MEK and had sought asylum in Sweden in 1980, he had the confidence of Khomeini and Rafsanjani.[2] With the consent of Khomeini, then-president Abolhassan Banisadr appointed him to this post in June 1980.[3][4]

Fakoori was the commander of the Iranian Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War. He also served as the Iranian defence minister from spring 1981 to September 1981.[5] Fakoori replaced Mostafa Chamran as defence minister when the latter died in a plane crash accident during the Iran–Iraq war. Mohammad Salimi replaced Fakoori as defence minister in 1981.[5]

Death

Fakoori and other senior military officials, including Valiollah Fallahi and Mousa Namjoo, were killed in a crash near Tehran on 29 September 1981.[5] Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini made a speech following the incident in which he implied the Mujahedeen Khalq as the perpetrator without clearly condemning the leftist group.[6]

Fakoori was posthumously promoted to the rank of major general.

References

  1. Nikola B. Schahgaldian, Gina Barkhordarian (March 1987), The Iranian Military Under the Islamic Republic (PDF), RAND, ISBN 0-8330-0777-7, retrieved 15 January 2017
  2. Ehteshami Anous (1995). After Khomeini: The Iranian Second Republic. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-415-10879-9. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. Dilip Hiro (1987). Iran Under the Ayatollahs. Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 156. ISBN 978-0-7102-1123-1. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  4. "Iranian military chiefs reshuffled". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. 19 June 1980. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  5. Sepehr Zabir (23 April 2012). The Iranian Military in Revolution and War (RLE Iran D). CRC Press. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-136-81270-5. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  6. "Crash kills four top Iranian officers". The Daily Egyptian. Vol. 66, no. 29. Beirut. Associated Press. 1 October 1981. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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