Hafte tir bombing

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On 28 June 1981 (the 7th of Tir 1360 ( Hafte Tir - هفت تیر ) in the Iranian calendar), a powerful bomb went off at the headquarters of the Iran Islamic Republic Party (IRP) while a meeting of party leaders was in progress. Seventy-three leading officials of the Islamic Republic were killed, including the chief justice and party secretary Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, four cabinet ministers (Health, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy ministers), twenty-seven members of the Majlis(Iranian Parliament), and several other government officials.[1][2][3][4]

The government of Iran has accused the Mujahideen al-Khalq of the attack. The Mujahideen al-Khalq at that time was involved in a campaign of bombings and attacks against officials of the Islamic Republic.[5] However, no group or person has ever accepted the responsibility or been put on trial for this bombing. A young student named Reza Kolahi[6] was accused of having placed the bomb, but he was never found. This has led to conspiracy theories by some who claim that the bombing was motivated by an internal power struggle and perpetrated by a faction within the Iranian ruling party. IRP was eventually desolved because of these polarizations.[7] Another conspiracy theory maintains that only state-backed organizations could ever acquire such a powerful bomb and points the finger at Israel's Mossad.

To commemorate this date several public places in Iran including major squares in Tehran and other cities are named “Hafte Tir”.[8][9]

[edit] Chronological order of events around "Hafte Tir"

  • March-May 1980 (Esfand-Ordibehesht 1359): Mojahedin-e Khalq, formerly revolutionary allies against the Shah, are attacked by Ayatollah Khomeini as elteqati (eclectic), contaminated with gharbzadegi (western disease). Rallies and offices are physically attacked by Hezbollahi during Majlis elections.[10]
  • 22 Sept 1980 (31 Shahrivar 1359): Saddam triggers the 8-year Iran-Iraq War.
  • 20 January 1981 (30 Day 1359): Iran hostage crisis prisoners freed.
  • 7 June 1981 (17 Khordad 1360): Israeli destroys Iraq's Osirak nuclear facilities.
  • 21 June 1981 (31 Khordad 1360): President Abolhassan Banisadr impeached by parliament.
  • 26 June 1981 (5 Tir 1360): Failed assassination attempt on Ali Khamenei.
  • 28 June 1981 (7 Tir 1360): Hafte tir bombing.
  • 10 July 1981 (18 Tir 1360): Abolhassan Banisadr flees the country.
  • 30 Aug 1981 (8 Shahrivar 1360): President Mohammad-Ali Rajai assassinated.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Religion in Iran - Terror and Repression
  2. ^ The Daily News - June 1981
  3. ^ The Daily News - June 1981
  4. ^ Iran ABC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  5. ^ Mujahideen al-Khalq - Indopedia, the Indological knowledgebase
  6. ^ Enemies of the Clergy - TIME
  7. ^ Iran Islamic Republican Party
  8. ^ Google Maps
  9. ^ Hafte Tir
  10. ^ Moin, Baqer, Khomeini, (2001), p.234, 239

[edit] See also