One of the activities of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MKO/MEK) during the Sacred Defense was the hijacking of passenger aircraft with the aim of weakening the Islamic Republic of Iran.

To prevent and combat hijacking, three treaty instruments— the 1963 Tokyo Convention, the 1970 Hague Convention, and the 1971 Montreal Convention— were adopted under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization, with the aim of criminalizing acts against international civil aviation.⁠[1]

The first recorded hijacking in the world dates back to 1930, in Peru⁠[2]. No other hijacking occurred from that date until 1947, after which hijackings increased.⁠[3]

The first hijacking in Iran occurred on 21 June 1970 (31 Khordad 1349 SH), when three hijackers seized an Iran Air Boeing 727 carrying 91 passengers on the Tehran– Abadan route and took it to Iraq. After a seven-hour stop at Baghdad Airport, the aircraft returned to Tehran with its passengers, and the three hijackers sought refuge in Iraq. A few months later, on 10 October 1970 (18 Mehr 1349 SH), the same previously hijacked aircraft was hijacked again, this time with 44 passengers and crew. Once again, the three hijackers took the aircraft to Iraq⁠[4], but that same afternoon the aircraft returned to Iran with its occupants.⁠[5]

On 9 November 1970 (18 Aban 1349 SH), an Iranian aircraft traveling from Dubai⁠[6] to Iran was hijacked by nine members of the People' s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and landed in Baghdad. The aircraft was carrying six prisoners who were members of the Mojahedin Organization and were to be transferred to Iran; it was hijacked by three members of the organization and taken to Iraq.⁠[7]

Following numerous hijackings in Iran, on 23 February 1971 (4 Esfand 1349 SH), the National Consultative Assembly passed the Anti-Hijacking Law, under which hijackers were sentenced to three to fifteen years' imprisonment and, if a killing occurred during the hijacking, to death.⁠[8]

In 1971 (1350 SH), the hostage rescue unit was established within the Army' s 23rd NOHED Brigade and was tasked with flight security on civil aircraft.⁠[9]

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and during the years of the imposed war, most hijackings were carried out by members or supporters of the People' s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MKO/MEK, the “ Monafeqin”).⁠[10] During this period, either several armed individuals among the passengers hijacked the aircraft, or members of the organization persuaded some pilots to do so through inducement or threats. Hijackings carried out by pilots and flight crews had greater propaganda value for the Monafeqin.⁠[11] For example, on 12 August 1986 (21 Mordad 1365 SH), a Falcon jet belonging to an airline was flown to Iraq by its pilot, Ali-Akbar Mohammadi; one month later, the pilot went to West Germany and on 16 January 1987 (26 Dey 1365 SH) was assassinated in Hamburg by unidentified individuals.⁠[12]

In 1984 (1363 SH), hijackings in Iran increased.⁠[13] On 16 June 1984 (26 Khordad 1363 SH), a Friendship (F-27) aircraft with eight occupants was hijacked by four Iranian hijackers. It first landed in Bahrain and, after refueling at an airport in Egypt, landed there. The hijackers requested asylum from Egypt, but after the Egyptian government rejected their request, they remained in Egypt for two days and then traveled to France, landing at Nice Airport in southern France, where they were granted asylum.⁠[14]

On 26 June 1984 (5 Tir 1363 SH), two hijackers seized an Iran Air Boeing 727 carrying 136 passengers and crew and took it to Iraq.⁠[15] Two hijackers also forced the pilot of an Iran Air Boeing 727 traveling from Tehran to Bushehr, carrying 136 passengers, to land in Qatar. After refueling and releasing the passengers in Doha, the aircraft landed at the airport there, and the hijackers flew toward Cairo.⁠[16] They requested political asylum from the Egyptian government, but Egypt rejected the request. The aircraft returned to Tehran on 28 June 1984 (7 Tir 1363 SH), while the Iraqi government granted the hijackers political asylum.⁠[17]

On 6 August 1984 (16 Mordad 1363 SH), an Airbus carrying 304 people on the Tehran– Shiraz route was hijacked by two hijackers and landed at Bahrain Airport at 2:35 a. m. on Wednesday, 7 August 1984 (17 Mordad 1363 SH). After refueling in Bahrain, the hijacked aircraft, under threat from the hijackers, headed for Cairo and from there traveled to Rome. The hijackers surrendered to Italian authorities and released the passengers.⁠[18]

During the imposed war, Iraq exploited hijackings on Iranian air routes for propaganda purposes. For example, on 28 August 1984 (6 Shahrivar 1363 SH), when an Airbus carrying 195 passengers and 11 crew members on the Shiraz– Tehran route was hijacked and landed at Baghdad Airport⁠[19], Iraq treated the passengers as guests and arranged visits to the holy shrines, tours of Baghdad, and a lunch reception. Baghdad Radio subsequently interviewed the passengers and announced their satisfaction with the Iraqi government' s hospitality.⁠[20] However, after one week, on 10 September 1984 (19 Shahrivar 1363 SH), the passengers and crew returned to Iran on a Dutch aircraft, while the aircraft remained in Iraq.⁠[21] In 1984 (1363 SH), Iraq announced that the three hijacked aircraft that had gone to Iraq would not be returned to Iran until the end of the war because of the possibility that they might be used for military purposes.⁠[22]

From 1978 to 1984 (1357– 1363 SH), the Civil Aviation Organization operated without flight guards⁠[23], until on 3 September 1984 (12 Shahrivar 1363 SH) the National Security Council assigned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsibility for airport protection and flight security.⁠[24] From 1984 until the end of the imposed war, when this mission was assigned to the IRGC, 15 hijackings occurred; 11 were thwarted through operational measures and 4 without physical intervention.⁠[25]

After the end of the imposed war, Imam Khomeini ordered the establishment of the Aviation Protection Corps on 22 December 1988 (1 Dey 1367 SH), and on 26 December 1988 (5 Dey 1367 SH) the Aviation Protection Corps was formally established and assumed responsibility for securing airline flights and the country' s airports.⁠[26]

The last hijacking in Iran occurred in 1995 (1374 SH), when a Saha passenger aircraft on the Tehran– Kish route was hijacked and taken to Israel. After the hijacker was granted asylum, the aircraft and passengers were returned to Iran.⁠[27]

During air accidents and hijacking-disruption operations in the Sacred Defense period, 70 members of the Aviation Protection Corps were martyred and 650 were wounded.⁠[28]