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The role of Valiasser garrison in foiling the coup

Seyyed Mehdi Hosseini*
Translated by Zahra Hosseinian

2016-7-16

After seizure the Embassy of the United States of America in Tehran on November 4th 1979, and divulgence of Operation Eagle Claw (or Tabas operations) in late April 1980, a group of elements linked to the Pahlavi government designed an operation which was known as The Nojeh coup plot.

On July 10^th 1980, coup plotters had planned to bring their conspiratorial purposes into operation. They had named their plot "Neghab, نقاب", the abbreviation of ‘نجات قیام ایران بزرگ’, which means ‘to survive the uprising of big Iran’ in English.  

General Oveysi’s circle and a number of Shapour Bakhtiar’s fans, the last Prime Minister of Pahlavi regime participated in this event. In the form of an organization, they had succeeded to organize a number of pilots and officers and non-commissioned officers who were unaware of the story. For implementing a coup against the Islamic Republic of Iran, this small group had set several goals on its agenda. Bombarding some region of Tehran by deluded pilots was one of their goals. These areas included: Home of Imam Khomeini (RA) in Jamaran, Mehrabad Airport, the Prime Minister office, The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, The Islamic Revolution Committees headquarters in Baharestan square, Valiasser garrison, Imam Hossein (AS) garrison, Khalij garrison (Shahid Beheshti), The Islamic Revolution Committee of district 9 and 4, Sa'd-Abad complex, and Lavizan.

According to the arrested persons, including General Mohagheghi, Khomeini’s home was the first and foremost target which should be bombed immediately.

The rebels wanted to start their plan from the third air base of Hamedan. After Revolution, the base had been named after ‘Shahid Mohammed Nojeh’. Each goal of coup plotters has special importance that had been considered as the center of operations. But among above regions, the Valiasser garrison is notable in some ways; some of its centers will be noted as follows:

1. It was the location of operation unit of IRGC in which all elite, militant, revolutionary, trained elements in armed struggle had been taken up in this garrison and had faced with every armed event.

2. The location of the base was in the context and center of Tehran; and the public relations office and headquarters of the Islamic Revolution's Committee was in Baharestan. In various ways, the garrison was linked to all sensitive parts of Tehran. It was connected to Baharestan and Khorasan Square from the south, to Imam Hossein (AS) square and St. Damavand from the east, to the St. Enqelab and Tehran University from the West, and to St. Shariati, Khalij garrison, and IRGC’s headquarters from the North.

3. After consulting with his mother, one of pilots said: "My mother was deeply upset and said that not only you shouldn’t do that, but you must report and stop it. I’ll not satisfied with you, if you don’t report It." the pilot decided to make their information available to the representative of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the Supreme Council of Defense. For visiting him, he called somewhere at the time, but was not successful; until he went to the Valiasser garrison and the Guards took him to the Ayatollah Khamenei’s home in St. Iran. After morning prayers, he gave his information to Khamenei’s representative; and the coup was foiled in this way.

4. Valiasser Garrison had a special role in foiling the coup, and there are many points in arresting the coup plotters. The troops of this garrison carried out courageous actions about deploying in sensitive parts of Tehran to identify and arrest them.

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* Mehdi Hosseini is developing oral history about Valiasser garrison and interviews and research in this field. He has written this information on the basis of his various interviews.