Javad Fakoori


Javad Fakoori was a prominent military official and defence minister of Iran.

Career

Fakoori was a commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force at the rank of colonel. He entered the Iranian Air Force in 1958 as a fighter pilot of the North American F-100 Super Sabre. He later qualified on the F-4 fighter-bomber in 1967. He commanded a flight, squadron, wing and group of F-4 aircraft during the Pahlavi regime. In 1978, he was promoted to colonel and stationed in Tehran as a staff officer. Despite the fact that one of his cousins was a leading member of the People's Mojahedin of Iran and had sought asylum in Sweden in 1980, he had the confidence of Khomeini and Rafsanjani. With the consent of Khomeini, then-president Abolhasan Bani Sadr appointed him to this post in June 1980.
Fakoori was the commander of the Iranian Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War. He also served as the Iranian defence minister from spring 1981 to September 1981. Fakoori replaced Mostafa Chamran as defence minister when the latter died in a plane crash accident during the Iran–Iraq war. Mohammad Salimi replaced Fakoori as defence minister in 1981.

Death

Fakoori and other senior military officials, including Valiollah Fallahi and Mousa Namjoo, were killed in a crash near Tehran on 29 September 1981. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major General.