TEHRAN- Iran owes its missile power to Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the founding father of Iran’s missile power, a man who was martyred on November 12, 2012.

Tehrani Moqaddam is a general known for his relentless efforts to further develop Iran’s missile program. He began establishing Iran’s missile program amidst the Iran-Iraq war which began in 1980 and lasted for eight years.  

The recent incidents clearly demonstrate the necessity of having an adequate military might for national defense.

It is not fair to neglect those who have contributed to Iran's self-sufficiency and progress in missile technology. 

Martyr Tehrani Moghaddam was one of the figures who played a special role in empowering the country’s missile power. 

He is described as “Iran’s missile father.”

Upon his request, the sentence “Here is the tomb of a person who wanted to destroy Israel” was engraved on his tomb. 

A year after the Islamic Revolution's victory, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Khajeh Nasir al-Din Toosi University.

He joined the IRGC in 1980.

He was one of the leading figures in the establishment of the IRGC artillery using 155 mm and 130 mm traction shells as well as Portuguese 105 mm shells.

In the midst of the imposed war, he was tasked with leading the IRGC missile unit due to its need for air combat.

In the meantime, Iraq hardened its missile attacks against Iranian cities, and Iran was trying to make up for its weakness in missile defense with the help of countries such as Syria and Libya. 

He, along with his forces, succeeded in firing Iran's first missile at the city of Kirkuk on March 12, 1985. 

The second IRGC missile hit the 18th-floor bank in Baghdad on the morning of March 14, 1986, and the next missile landed in the Iraqi army officers' club in Baghdad, killing around 200 Iraqi commanders.
 
He was chosen as the IRGC Air Force commander in 1986.

According to a previous agreement, Libya sent several Scud missiles with launchers to Iran, and it was decided to prepare the missiles and the launch pad in the barracks that had been determined in advance under the supervision of Libyan experts. 

But all of a sudden, the experts put the work on hold. In fact, Muammar Gaddafi wanted to blackmail Iran.

Regarding the capabilities of Tehrani Moghaddam, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said, "Every woman who travels from north to south in Lebanon or vice versa, owes her security to Hajj Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam."

Using Sejjil and Shahab missiles, Tehrani Moghaddam, hypothetically, could have made the 'seven-minute to Tel Aviv' theory a reality.

Finally, on November 12, 2011, he was martyred along with some of his comrades in the Amir al-Mu'minin garrison in Mallard City, west of the Iranian capital of Tehran. 

The blast took place during a missile test at a base in Bid Ganeh, which killed 16 other individuals as well.