Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – December 20, 1987

I woke up before the morning call to prayer and listened to the radio reciting the Quran. After the morning prayer and listening to the news of the American radio and having breakfast, we went to the radar site that was hit by a rocket a few days ago and was repaired and has been in use since yesterday.

From there we went to the Atomic Energy [Plant] and visited the ruins of Iraqi airstrikes. About 30 bombs and rockets hit the atomic energy facilities during three attacks, ten of which were effective and damaged some of the buildings and facilities, but it can be compensated. The defense is weak.

Then we visited a dock that belongs to the Atomic Energy Organization and there is a dispute between the two naval forces of the army and the IRGC for its use. I advised them to be accompanied. The army has four old minesweepers, which are not very effective, and the corps has several boats.

From there, we went to Kangan by helicopter. On the way, I visited the shores of the Persian Gulf from Bushehr to there. We passed through Khormoj and Bardkhon areas; It is spectacular. There is a dirt road along the coast that connects the villages. People usually fish and have some palm trees. The northern parts are better. We saw Deir and Kangan ports from the sky.

We landed at the Kangan gas project site. Engineers came and explained. It is interesting. It is said that it has about 300 billion cubic meters of gas and after the completion of two phases, 80 million meters of gas will be extracted from it daily. We visited a well being completed and a gas separation center and water facilities and they gave explanations. Then we went to the refinery. We prayed and had lunch.

Engineer Heydari explained the refinery and we saw the facility itself. Engineer Kopai, Engineer Taheri Shirazi, Engineer Azimian and Engineer Tavakoli also gave explanations.

We went by helicopter to Bandar Taheri and then Shirino site. We landed in Shirino. This site was built before the revolution, but it was not operational, and after the revolution, it was destroyed a lot, and recently the drug addicts were deported there. Then the IRGC took over there and the Air Force has been there for two or three days and they are going to activate the radar there in the next few days, which will be effective for defending against the infiltration of Iraqi planes to the south of the Persian Gulf. The presence of the army is not serious. It seems that they only intended to occupy there.

From there, we flew over Asaluyeh, Naiband and Gaubandi and then went to Lawan Island. We visited oil facilities for about an hour: wharves, oil warehouses, camps, sites and refineries, etc. and heard explanations about our oil resources and centers in the Persian Gulf. Useful and interesting information was obtained.

At night, we flew from the airport with a Falcon plane. They used lanterns to fly on the runway at night. Because it doesn't have lights, we let them ignore the blackout and turned on the island.

Several Iraqi air attacks on the island and oil platforms and the recent US attack on the oil platform caused the oil production in this region to be completely shut down. We arrived in Tehran at nine o'clock in the evening.

The plane of my guards has landed in Shiraz. The weather was not good. I came home in military uniform. The children were Mohsen's guests. Mohsen brought my dinner; Yasser's place is empty. We were informed that last night's operation of the army's ground forces in Zubaidat was not successful. They say it was due to rain.