TEHRAN – The Owj Arts and Media Organization, the IRGC cinematic arm, plans to make a film on Mehdi Zeinuddin, a young commander who played a key role in Iran’s first strategic offensive launched against Iraq on Majnun Island in 1984.

The film entitled “Majnun” will be directed by Mehdi Shahmohammadi, producer Abbas Naderan announced in a post published on his Instagram on Tuesday.

The cast and crew will travel to the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan to join Shahmohammadi in his debut feature film. 

The project was announced on the anniversary of Operation Kheibar, which was carried out by the 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) Division under Zeinuddin.

On February 14, 1984, Iran fought through Iraqi defenses to the oil-rich Majnun Island. A loss would allow Iraq to regain all territory lost in the battle. The operation was Iran’s first strategic offensive, during which the Iran Air Force could only provide an inadequate 100 combat sorties per day on average. 

Due to the shortage of aircraft, Iran used helicopters to support their troops. Eventually, the Iranians swept across the marshes and forced the Iraqis out of Majnun Island, resulting in a major defeat for Iraq. Iran was now ready to launch the final attack of the battle of the marshes. 

Iran followed up with a new offensive where 250,000 Iranian troops emerged from the marshland thrusting west and south in the direction of Al-Qurna and Basra respectively.

Zeinuddin was martyred on November 18, 1984, in a battle with a company of Kurdish separatists in the Sardasht region. He was 25.

“Majnun” is part of a large project Owj launched in 2016 with “Standing in the Dust” to film episodes of the lives of IRGC commanders and top figures.

Directed by Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian, “Standing in the Dust” focuses on Ahmad Motevasselian, an IRGC commander who was kidnapped by the Zionist regime in 1982 in Lebanon.  

Owj made “Mansur”, a biopic about the late commander-in-chief of the Iran Air Force, Mansur Sattari, with director Siavash Sarmadi in 2021.  

The latest part of the project, “The Stranger”, premiered at the 41st Fajr International Film Festival last week.

Directed by Mohammad-Hossein Latifi, the film portrays IRGC commander Mohammad Borujerdi’s struggles against separatists in western Iran to maintain territorial integrity in the region in the early 1980s.

Photo: This file photo shows Mehdi Zeinuddin speaking to his forces on the frontline.

MMS/YAW