Today, November 12, marks the 14th anniversary of the martyrdom of Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam, known as the ‘father of Iran’s missile program’ and a visionary military strategist who was ahead of his time.

He played an instrumental role in developing Iran’s indigenous missile capabilities during the 1980s imposed war and groomed many aerospace commanders who continued his mission.

Born in 1959 in Sarcheshmeh, a neighborhood in central Tehran, Tehrani Moqaddam completed his high school education in 1977.

In 1979, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, which was followed two years later by a Master’s degree in industrial engineering from Khajeh Nasir al-Din Toosi University.

At the young age of 21, when the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was established, Tehrani Moqaddam joined the intelligence division of the third region in northern Iran as a young cadet.

After the successful Samen-ol-A’emeh operation in 1981, which freed Abadan city in southwestern Khuzestan from West-backed Iraqi Ba'athist forces, he recognized the urgent need to strengthen fire support on the front lines.

This realization inspired him to draft a plan to address the challenge, which he submitted to Hassan Bagheri, then-IRGC intelligence chief. Following his proposal, the IRGC artillery corps and the artillery research center in Ahvaz were established.

Tehrani Moqaddam played a leading role in setting up the IRGC artillery, using 155 mm and 130 mm traction shells, as well as Portuguese 105 mm shells.

In the mid-1980s, when Iraq was escalating missile attacks on Iranian cities backed by Western governments, including the United States, Iran sought to compensate for its missile defense shortcomings through limited foreign assistance.

By Press TV Website Staff