Iran's Navy At War; Operation Pearl

The Iraqis had positioned extensive radar and monitoring equipment on the Al-Bakr and Al-Omayeh oil rigs in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Iraqis had installed these in order to keep an eye on large number of Iranian air operations that were using the air space nearby to fly deep inside Iraq. In essence, these were valid military targets that could be destroyed.

As a result, a combined air/sea operation, code-named Morvarid (Pearl), was initiated by Iranian Navy Task Force 421 on November 28th, 1980, to destroy these two platforms and eventually blind Iraqi monitoring sites. The plan was to land dozens of 'Iranian Marine Commandos' on these platforms to blow them up.

An Iranian La Combatant II fast attack boat, named Peykan (Spear), engaged Iraqi surface vessels and aircraft, and called for air support when the situation got out of control. Two F-4Es, each carrying several AGM-65A Maverick missiles were scrambled from Bushehr 6th air base and flew at 400kts and 20-50ft (6-15m) above the sea. They then would increase their speed and altitude to 500kts and 4,000ft (1,200m) once over the area and prior to launching their deadly Maverick missiles. Many Iraqi missile boats were engaged and destroyed using AGM-65A missiles in two waves, although Peykan was finally hit and destroyed by an Iraqi surface to surface Styx missile.

Iran had purchased thousands of AGM-65A missiles prior to the overthrow of the Shah. As well as being used against sea targets, AGM-65A Maverick missiles could be employed to destroy bridges, armored vehicles and munition depots.

As a result of Operation Pearl, the Iraqi navy lost most of its control over the northern Persian Gulf, and it lost valuable assets including many Soviet built Osa II missile boats. The landing party of the Iranian commandos successfully achieved their objectives and for years these two platforms were out of commission as monitoring sites.

List of Martyrs of Peykan Boat:

1- Commander Hemmati, Mohammad Ebrahim

2- Lieutenant Hafizi, Hosseyn

3- Lieutenant Koosha, Mohammad Reza

4- Lieutenant Derakhshan, Siamak

5- Lieutenant Labbafian, Abolqasem

6- Lieutenant Junior Grade Mohammad Zade, Habibollah

7- Lieutenant Junior Grade Miri, Ali Asqar

8- Lieutenant Junior Grade Pir SiahKol, Ebrahim

9- Ensign Azari, Shahbaz

10- Master chief petty officer Sadeqi Langrudi, Sadeq

11- Master chief petty officer Mardanian, Manoochehr

12- Master chief petty officer Shahnavaz, Manoochehr

13- Master chief petty officer Azad Poor, Mohammad Reza

14- Master chief petty officer Nowroozi, Asqar

15- Master chief petty officer Qorbani, Mohammad Reza

16- Senior chief petty officer Amiri Moqqadam, Seyyed Moosa

17- Senior chief petty officer Khosh Niat, Naser

18- Senior chief petty officer Arjmand, Rahim

19- Senior chief petty officer Soltani, Parviz

20- Senior chief petty officer Tahmasebi, Noshad

21-Senior chief petty officer Azizi, Aziz

22- Senior chief petty officer Shirvani, Akbar

23- Senior chief petty officer Shahbazi, Ali Akbar

24- Senior chief petty officer Abkenari, Ali Asqar

25- Petty officer first class Mohammadi, Ezattollah

26- Petty officer first class Veisi, Abdolreza

27- Petty officer first class Beik Verdi, Mohammad

28- Seaman Sasani, Dashti

29- Seaman Hosseyni, Seyyed Mohammad

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