Naval Commandos in Khurramshahr: Unheard Stories
Soureh Mehr Publications has published "Naval Commandos in Khurramshahr", the first work published by a naval commando of the first Iranian division to withstand Iraq's assaults on the city of Khurramshahr before its capture in 1980. The stories were never published before.
Captain Houshang Samadi, commander of a 600-strong division during the Sacred Defense who resisted wholeheartedly the Iraqi forces in a 34-day siege to save the strategic city of Khurramshahr, has told the stories. Of the 600 commandos in the division only 270 ones survived after the siege.
A few hours after Iraq attacked Iran in 1980, a division of commandos led by Captain Samadi was deployed to Abadan and then to Khurramshahr from their base in Bushehr to resist the enemy. They withstood Iraqi assaults 34 days before the city was captured by Iraqis.
The 300-page book reflects the memories of the comrades during the 34 resistance told by Captain Samadi and has recently been published by Soureh Mehr Publications.
This is the first time in the past three decades that Samadi has told the stories of the resistance within 45 hours of interviews with Ghasem Yahusseini.
The stories cover Samadi's memories of the beginning days of the Iraq-imposed war on Iran through his retirement as a naval commander.
The book's better part is dedicated to Samadi's recollections of the painful fall of the city in the hands of Iraqi forces. During the 34-day resistance, Samadi was injured 6 times but never retreated. He had a diary in which he recorded his every-day memories precisely. He also wrote the memories of his comrades.
Translated by: Abbas Hajihashemi
Number of Visits: 5335
The latest
- The Necessity of Standardizing Oral History and Criticism of General Mohsen Rezaei
- The 368th Night of Remembrance – Part 1
- Oral History News of Khordad 1404 (May 22nd – June 21st 2025)
- Najaf Headquarters Human Resources
- The Embankment Wounded Shoulders – 12
- Annotation
- The 367th Night of Memory– 5
- The Founder of Hosseiniyeh Ershad
Most visited
Operation Beit al-Moqaddas and Liberation of Khorramshahr
After Operation Fat’h al-Mobin, we traveled to Kermanshah and visited Sar-e-Pol-e-Zahab before heading to Ilam. During Operation Beit al-Moqaddas, the 27th Brigade was still receiving support from the West. We maintained contact with individuals who had previously worked in Area 7 and were now leading the brigade. It was through these connections that I learned about Operation Beit al-Moqaddas.Memoirs of Hujjat al-Islam Reza Motalebi
Hujjat al-Islam Reza Motalebi is a cleric from Isfahan. Before the revolution, he was the imam of the Fallah Mosque – which was later renamed Abuzar Mosque. By his presence and efforts, Abuzar Mosque soon became a base for supporters of the Imam and the revolution. After the victory of the revolution, he played a role in uniting forces and maintaining political vitality in southwest Tehran.The Necessity of Receiving Feedback in Oral History
Whenever we engage in a task, we naturally seek ways to evaluate our performance — to correct shortcomings and enhance strengths. Such refinement is only possible through the feedback we receive from others. Consider, for instance, a basketball player whose shots are consistently accurate; should he begin shooting blindfolded, his success rate would rapidly decline, as he would be deprived of essential feedback from each attempt.Sir Saeed
The book “Sir Saeed” is a documentary [narrative] of the life of martyr Seyyed Mohammad Saeed Jafari, written by Mohammad Mehdi Hemmati and published by Rahiyar Publications. In March 2024, this book was recognized as one of the selected documentary biographies in the 21st edition of the Sacred Defense Book of the Year Award. The following text is a review on the mentioned book.
