Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam

Sardar Shahid
Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam
Nickname(s) Hassan Tehrani, Hassan Moghaddam
Born 29 October 1959
Tehran, Iran
Died 11 December 2011(2011-12-11) (aged 52)
Tehran, Iran
Allegiance IRGC
Rank Major General
Battles/wars Iran–Iraq War

Major General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam (Persian: حسن تهرانی مقدم‎‎) (29 October 1959 – 12 November 2011) an Iranian engineer and senior military officer, the main architect of the Iranian missile system and the founder of Iran's deterrent power,[1][2] was the chief of the "self-sufficiency" unit[note 1] of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.[3] He founded Iran's long-range missile program, and designed the Shahab, Ghadr and Sejjil missiles with an operational range of more than 1,000 kilometers specifically to threaten Israel.[4] For these reasons he is regarded as Iran's missile architect and the father of Iran's missile program.[1][5][6] He was killed on 12 November 2011 in the Bid Kaneh explosion, at a depot belonging to the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution 25 miles west of Iran's capital, Tehran.

Biography

Tehrani Moghaddam was born on 29 October 1959 in Tehran. In 1977, he graduated from high school. In 1979, he received a diploma in Industrial Engineering from Nafisi high school. In 1981, he received his bachelor's degree from K.N. Toosi University of Technology.[5][7] Moghaddam took part in the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution. In 1980, he joined the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (AGIR) and was given special responsibility for information in the northern section of AGIR. He had important roles in the Iran-Iraq war as follows:[5]

As developer of Iran's missile program

After the Iran-Iraq war (1980–88), as Iran had only non-native Scud missiles with an operational range limited to 300 kilometers, Moghaddam set up a long-range missile program and designed a number of different missiles. His immediate goal was to develop a missile with an operational range of more than 1,000 kilometers that could threaten Israel.[4][8] Mostafa Izadi, an Iranian AGIR commander and close friend of Moghaddam said, "Since 1984 [Moghaddam] pioneered the IRGC's ground to ground missile system ... the work which has so frightened the world's imperialist powers and the Zionist regime today."[1]

At first, Moghaddam designed missiles that were reverse-engineered from non-native Scud missiles. He produced the Shahab-1 from the Scud-B, and then developed the Shahab-2 and the Zelzal missiles (Zelzal-1, Zelzal-2, and Zelzal-3). In 1998, from the Scud-C he developed the Shahab-3, which is a medium-range ballistic missile with an operational range of 2,000 kilometers. It was tested between 1998 and 2003 and was added to Iran's military arsenal on 7 July 2003, with an official unveiling by Ayatollah Khamenei on 20 July of the same year.[4][8] Moghaddam later improved the Shahab-3 and developed a new version of this missile called Ghadr-110, which has a range of 1,800–2,000 kilometers and is also known as the Ghadr-101.

In 2008, Moghaddam developed the first range of Iranian solid-fueled ballistic missiles known as the Sejjil.[9][10] The Sejjil replaced the Shahab liquid-fueled ballistic missiles. According to US Pentagon sources, the missile profile of the Sejjil closely matches those of the Ashura (Ghadr-110) and Samen missiles. The Sejjil launch tests on 13 November 2008 displayed an operational range of 2,000–2,400 kilometers. Subsequent to this Moghaddam developed the Shahab, Ghadr, and Sejjil missiles.[9]

Saeed Qasemi, an AGIR commander, said that Iran owed its missile program to Moghaddam and stated: "A major part of [Iran's] progress in the field of missile capability and artillery was due to round-the-clock efforts by ... Moghaddam".[3] Another commander has described Moghaddam as the founder of AGIR's surface-to-surface missile systems.[3] Hossein Salami, the deputy head of the IRGC, declared about his role: "Moghaddam was the main architect of the Revolutionary Guards' cannon and missile power and the founder of the deterrent power of our country."[1]

Death

Tehrani's Moghaddam's tomb at Behesht Zahra

The Bid Kaneh arsenal explosion was a large explosion that occurred on 12 November 2011 at the missile garrison of Modares. Seventeen members of AGIR were killed in this incident,[1][6][11] among them the father of Iran's missile program. Those who died are known as the "Shahidan Ghadir".[3][6]

After the explosion, initial reports indicated that it had happened at a CNG station, but this was later denied.[12] Iranian officials said that the blast at the missile base was an accident, and ruled out any sabotage organized by the United States and its regional allies.[11] AGIR said that the explosion "had taken place in an arms depot when munitions were being moved".[1] On the Iranian parliament's website, icana.ir, Parviz Soroori, an Iranian MP, was quoted as saying, "No sabotage was involved in this incident. It has nothing to do with politics".[3] However, TIME magazine cited a "western intelligence source" as saying that Mossad was behind the blast, and other reports, which were attributed to western intelligence services, also mentioned the involvement of Israel's intelligence and special operations organization. Speaking to The Guardian on condition of anonymity, an official with close links to the regime in Iran said that he believed the Bid Kaneh explosion was "part of the covert war against Iran, led by Israel".[1]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Unit in the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution whose task is the development of a state not requiring any aid or support from other countries on defense matters and military technology or any interaction with them in this respect.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Borger, Julian; Kamali Dehghan, Saeed (14 November 2011). "Iranian missile architect dies in blast. But was explosion a Mossad mission?". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Iran, again: No U.S. or Israeli mischief in explosion". Los Angeles Times. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iranian missile expert killed in explosion". The Guardian. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Introduction of AGRI missiles to threaten Zionist entity". www.farsnews.com. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam Biography". www.hamshahrionline.ir. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Bar-Zohar, Michael; Mishal, Nissim (2012). Mossad the great operations of Israel's secret service. London: Robson Press. ISBN 9781849545433.
  7. ↑ "Shahid Tehrani Moqadam". www.shakhsiatnegar.com. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  8. 1 2 "For first time, Iran media admit point of missile program was 'to hit Israel'". www.worldtribune.com. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Iran Tests Second Solid-Fuelled Sejil Missile, Capable of 2, 000 km". Defense Update. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  10. ↑ "Iran tests new long-range missile". BBC News. 12 November 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  11. 1 2 Erdbrink, Thomas (25 November 2011). "Mysterious explosions pose dilemma for Iranian leaders". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Staff writers (11 November 2012). "The explosion at CNG station in Alborz and Tehran is not true". Retrieved 20 January 2015.

External links

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