| Abbas Doran | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 22, 1950 Shiraz, Iran |
| Died | July 21, 1982 (aged 31) Baghdad , Iraq |
| Allegiance | Iran |
| Service/branch | Iranian Air Force |
| Rank | Major General |
Major General. Abbas Doran (October 22, 1950 Shiraz - July 21, 1982 Baghdad), also spell Dowran or Dooran, Persian: عباس دوران ) was an acclaimed Iranian fighter pilot and a national hero.
He flew for the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF), and continued flying after it was renamed the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) in 1979. General Doran piloted an F-4 Phantom II. He was shot down over Baghdad in 1982 trying to prevent NAM conference from taking place in Baghdad by showing the city as insecure during the Iran–Iraq War.
During his time with the IRIAF, General Doran led more than 120 strikes into Iraq and by 1982 had flown over 2500 sorties and more than 900 combat missions.
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Prior to combat training in the F-4 Phantom, Lt Doran received his basic flying training at Columbus AFB, Columbus, Mississippi. He was a member of Undergraduate Pilot Training Program Class 73-02, graduating in the fall of 1972.
General Doran, known for flying the Phantom II beyond its limits, lower and faster than anybody in the Iranian Air Force, was a great marksmanship with the M-61A1 Vulcan gun, and had a high number of AGM-65 Maverick kills, and with the help of his wingman and the rest of the IRIAF, he virtually destroyed the Iraqi Navy in October 1980 during Operation Morvarid. One of his greatest values to the IRIAF was being the mission planner, because, according to the IRIAF, 90% of his missions in Iraq were successful. When Israel invaded south Lebanon in 1982, Doran was the first pilot to volunteer in case of necessary strike missions into Israel. Some of his mission plans for striking Israel still kept secret to this day in case of a possible conflict between Iran and Israel. He is also known for writing numerous letters to the new government's heads asking them to stop executing and arresting former IIAF pilots during the time of war.
In 1982, Saddam Hussein planned to host 7th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement in Baghdad to show that Iraq enjoys stability during the ongoing war. The conference was scheduled to take place at Baghdad’s Al-Rashid Hotel and would have been a big blow to Iran, if Saddam Hussein were to hold it successfully.[1] Iran tried to show Baghdad is not safe, as IRIAF planned to hit Baghdad by plane for the first time. This was the last sortie of Doran. He flew on Wednesday, July 21, 1982 at noon. Doran flew to Baghdad on his jet fighter and bombed Al-Doura refinery in Baghdad before carrying out a martyrdom attack on the venue of the international conference days before it was scheduled to open.[1] Flying over the Iraqi capital he fell into a trap. His F-4E was hit by Roland 2 SAMs. His weapon systems officer ejected from the plane and was taken prisoner. Knowing that he was the most wanted pilot in Iraq and also the key IRIAF mission planner, he chose to die crashing his plane into Al-Rashid Hotel.[1] His actions caused the summit to be held in New Delhi instead of Baghdad.
After the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, General Doran became a hero in the IRIAF and beloved by the general public, especially in his home town of Shiraz for exceptional bravery he showed during the war. Iraq returned Doran's remains to Iran on 21 July 2002.[2]