Nader Mahdavi

Nader Mahdavi or Hossein Basria  was an Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution naval commander who fought against United States naval forces and cruisers on 24 July 1987.

Short biography
Hossein Basria was born on 4 June 1963 in Nokar village, Dashti County, Bushehr Province. When he was in high school, economical issues and his political activities made him leave school and he started working in his father's store. After the Iranian revolution, he joined the Basij group. When Iran-Iraq war started, he wanted to go to battlefields but he was underage and was prevented from entering the war. On 20 April 1981, he was employed in the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (AGIR). He married Sakineh Jokar in 1982.

First battle with United States
At the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the Persian Gulf was an unsafe place for Iranians, because Iraqi forces could easily bomb Iranian ships and oil platforms. Also, American naval forces protected other countries passing through the Persian Gulf, especially the Strait of Hormuz. Commanders of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution informed Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of Iran, about American cruisers in the Persian Gulf. Khomeini said: "If it was me, i would attack them". For this reason, Nader Mahdavi prepared his forces for operations against American cruisers.

On 24 July 1987, United States naval forces escorted the Kuwaiti oil tanker al-Rekkah in the Persian Gulf. Al-Rekkah changed to a United States's flag and also changed its name to Bridgeton. The escort mission was assigned to three cruisers of the United States Navy, USS Crommelin, USS Fox, and USS Kidd. The escorted caravan arrived 13 miles west of the Iranian Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf, and hit underwater mines. Nader Mahdavi's mission was preventing Bridgeton's movement. A mine explosion caused a 43 square metre dent in the body of the oil tanker. Three cruisers changed their deployment and went behind Bridgeton.

Death
On 8 October 1987, Mahdavi and his soldiers went to Persian Gulf for patrolling. Near the Farsi land, an American Helicopter attacked them. After a 20-minute battle, Mahdavi was arrested by American forces and tortured and then killed. Six days after his death, his body was sent to Iran from Oman. He was tortured before his death; his chest was torn by something like a big nail; also, he has been shot in his feet and forehead.

Films

 * Encounter With Devil is documentary film that narrates the war between Iran and United States in Persian Gulf. There are some episodes in the film that show Nader Mahdavi's interview of that time.

Books

 * Nader, my brother Hossein are Nader Mahdavi's brother memories about him as recorded by Seyyid Ghasim Yahosseini. The book, published by Fatehan Publication Company, is first book about Nader Mahdavi.
 * Behind the wave stronghold was second book about Nader Mahdavi's life. The narrators Hassan Sharifi and Seyyid Ghasim Yahosseini recorded their memories about Nader. In 2009, the book was published by Fatehan Publication Company in 3000 copies.
 * Once again, Nader is a biography of Nader Mahdavi by Seyyid Ghasim Yahosseini. The book published by Fatehan Publication Company in 2015.

Postage stamp

 * On 8 April 2015, Nader Mahdavi's postage stamp released in Bushehr Province.