Iran Air Flight 655: When the US Navy Shot Down a Civilian Airliner

On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes — a US Navy guided missile cruiser — shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 civilians on board, including 66 children.

What Happened

Iran Air Flight 655 was a scheduled commercial flight from Tehran to Dubai. The Airbus A300 was flying its normal route, in its assigned corridor, transmitting its civilian transponder signal, and climbing — not descending toward the Vincennes.

The Vincennes, commanded by Captain William C. Rogers III, identified the aircraft as an attacking Iranian F-14 fighter jet. Despite the plane's civilian transponder signal, scheduled flight path, and climbing trajectory, two SM-2 missiles were fired. The plane was destroyed.

The US Response

Vice President George H.W. Bush, campaigning for president at the time, stated: "I will never apologize for the United States of America. Ever. I don't care what the facts are."

The US government's response:

• No apology was ever issued
• Captain Rogers was awarded the Legion of Merit medal for his service
• The US paid $61.8 million in compensation to victims' families in 1996 — but explicitly stated it was not an admission of guilt
• An internal Navy investigation found fault with the crew's actions but framed them as reasonable errors

Why Iranians Remember

In Iran, the shootdown of Flight 655 is one of the most emotionally charged events in the US-Iran relationship. Iranians see it as evidence that the US places no value on Iranian civilian lives. The lack of an apology — combined with a medal for the captain — is viewed as deliberately callous.

When Americans wonder "why do they hate us?", Iranians point to 290 dead civilians, 66 dead children, and a medal for the man who killed them.

The crash site is now the location of an Iranian memorial. Every year, Iran commemorates the anniversary.