Yemen's Achievements Today Owe Much to an Iranian Missile Martyr

Many of the developments in Yemen that we are witnessing today are owed to the efforts of Martyr Mahmoud Bagheri, who wanted the countries of the Resistance Front to be able to have an impact on the battlefield.

Seyyedah Fatemeh Sadat Kiaei, Arjan Ambassador of Culture and Literature Group: Roknabad of Yazd is the place known for its great speakers. The well diggers who knew how to draw water from a few tens of meters deep on the roasted soil of the Yazd desert in a dry and low rainfall area and bring prosperity to it from underground. But digging wells and aqueducts was not the only work of Rokn Abad Mughni. They were so familiar with the soil of this land that when the war started in a part of Khuzestan and it was necessary to dig tunnels with confidentiality, they entrusted the work to them. The channels and tunnels dug in the Fatah El-Mobin operation were designed and built so skillfully that the fighters achieved good results.

The men of Roknabad are simple, their hands have been digging the earth for a lifetime, but they also know the way to the sky. The earth and the sky are not far apart, and the hearts of its people are as clear as the earth and sky of the desert land. From this same Roknabad, several dozen martyrs were dedicated to the holy defense, and some of them who later left their fathers' and ancestors' jobs on earth, built a bridge to the sky of the country to make achievements that would amaze the world with the genius of Iranians' thought and will.

Mahmoud was born in Rokn Abad in 1342. His father was also a teacher, a simple family, but with religious beliefs that raised him with the knowledge of the Qur'an. He studied in Meybod and along with his studies, he helped the family in farming until his early youth when he came to Tehran and settled in Mehrabad neighborhood. It was in 1362 that young Mahmoud went to the front and made his first appearance in the Guards Corps. It wasn't long after his presence in the IRGC that he entered the missile unit and stayed there until 40 years later when he became one of the major operational field commanders in the missile field. From that young man who had just entered the IRGC, a man emerged who was martyred along with his friend, IRGC Aerospace Commander Sardar Hajizadeh, in the opening minutes of the Zionist regime's attack on Iran last year.

On that day when we entered the house of Martyr Mahmoud Bagheri, our hearts wanted this meeting to be different from the regular visits of martyrs' families. After a year and a half of the war that America and Israel imposed on us and we are still in the middle of it, now it was time to appreciate the Mujahideen commanders who in a few decades brought us to such a military power that became a source of admiration for the countries in standing against the criminals of the time, but it is a pity that our commanders took the reward of this Mujahideen with martyrdom and we only went to meet the martyr's family as a courtesy to lighten the heart and write a short pen. We wished we could go back in time and tell Mahmoud Bagheri not from his wife and son Agha Mahdi, but from his own words, they would tell us about the achievements of rockets and the story of the bloodshed, the time spent day and night, and the efforts that were made to realize this path.

Mahmoud Bagheri's entry into the missile unit goes back to the days of the war, when, according to his own words, God's grace reached him and he met people in different periods who were always better than him and showed him the right path. Martyr Ali Akbar Sadeghi, one of Bagheri's neighborhood friends, was the one who encouraged him to join the IRGC, and Haj Hassan Tehrani Moghadam also advised him to join the missile unit. It was like this that Mahmoud was among the 40 people who volunteered to join the unit. After that, Mahmoud Bagheri went through the scientific and work steps to reach the responsibility of IRGC Aerospace Missile Command, the plan that martyr Hassan Tehrani Moghadam laid to equip and strengthen the country's defense base was followed up and implemented by commanders like Bagheri. An event that was not possible except by relying on God's destiny and trusting in the knowledge of the country's elite forces and servants. All these efforts, in addition to purifying the soul and purifying the soul, were the elixir that brought him to a level of dignity that his behavior and lifestyle would be a model for his future generations. The path that the elders of Jihad and the commanders of the holy defense fronts had traveled before, and the path that must be followed tomorrow by the hands of another generation of children of this border and land. You can read the narrative of the martyr in this meeting from the words of his son in detail below.

It was at the beginning of Holy Defense that his father's accuracy in mathematics and calculations made him noticed during the selection process of the Corps, and when he entered the unit, he went to the mapping department. In those days, the missile complex was very different from today's conditions, and the calculations related to the missile and its launch were of special importance. Many tasks depended on accurate calculations and the expertise of the troops; Calculations that have lost part of their past form and method with the arrival of new equipment, but were necessary for the advancement of missile activities at that time. Later, at some point, the father was accepted into the physics department of Sharif University, but on the advice of Shahid Tehrani Moghadam, he changed his educational path and continued his studies in the cartography department of Khajeh Nasir University. Gradually, he assumed the responsibility of the unit's mapping unit, and later, he was entrusted with the engineering responsibilities of the complex.

Along with his military activities, he also continued his studies. At first, he studied physics at Sharif University of Technology, but later, with the advice of Shahid Hajizadeh, he changed his course of study and continued his studies at Khwaja Nasiruddin Tusi University.

During these years, he was entrusted with various responsibilities. From 1381 to 1384, he lived with his family in Khorram Abad and was in charge of Lorestan Province's missile system. After that, from 1384 to 1387, he became the missile commander of Isfahan, and in 1388, he became the first aerospace missile commander at the same time as Shahid Hajizadeh.

During 16 years, he was the only manager who was present with Martyr Hajizadeh and in this company, he tried to generate power in Islamic Iran. From the years 1392 and 1393, by the order of Haj Qasim, he took responsibility for the resistance front's missile field at the same time. This responsibility extended the scope of his activities beyond the country and an important part of his efforts was devoted to empowering the resistance front countries. At one point, he went to Yemen for almost two months and tried to advance this path. Many of the events that we are witnessing in Yemen today are due to the efforts of my father, who wanted the countries of the resistance front to be effective in the field of action and rely on their own abilities and capacities to achieve this goal.

If it wasn't for that visionary look and the ideas that the father followed, maybe today many events in the resistance front would not have happened in this way. He always proudly said that he had 41 years left in the missile complex and always emphasized: "This is a place where no matter what we do, it is still not enough."

A father who was less at home, but we treasured those moments

Along with all these responsibilities, his family life also forms an important part of our memories. The truth is that it was not easy to live with someone who spends most of his time at work and on mission. Sometimes he did not come home for a week. It used to happen that he would get home at 9 in the evening and leave for work again at 2 in the morning. When we went to Isfahan, he didn't even come to Isfahan in the first month. "I did all the moving myself," my mother always joked.

He usually left home at five or six in the morning and was on mission two to three days a week. For this reason, we did not see the father very much and tried to treasure the moments he is with us. These conditions had become a part of our lives and we had gradually learned to cope with his heavy responsibilities.

In one of the meetings when the martyr went to the presence of Hazrat Agha, they had greeted the families. Hazrat Agha had said that half of your reward and effort is for your wives. When I look at our own lives, the meaning of this sentence is better understood, because behind many of my father's efforts, there was my mother's patience and companionship. Many of these efforts would not have been possible if it were not for the support of the martyrs' wives.

One of the characteristics of the martyr that was always interesting to me was his deep connection with the mosque and religious gatherings. Well, he had a very good relationship with the mosque and showed a spirit of his own that I have rarely seen among well-known people. He behaved very casually and informally in meetings of Sayyid al-Shahda and religious ceremonies and was a Hosseini in the true sense of the word. His position and responsibility did not make him consider himself separate from others or attach any special dignity to himself for serving in the Assembly of Imam Hussein (AS). On the last five nights of the month of Safar, we had fasting in our house. Father would stand in front of the door and proudly pair the guests' shoes. At noon of Ashura, he used to walk behind the funeral cart. He once said, "I had great needs from this movement behind the mourning cart."

Almost every week on Tuesdays, he participated in the clothiers' guild ceremony. I don't remember that the night prayer of the father was made. Even after the Nights of Qadr, when we were returning from the Arg mosque, the evening prayer schedule was still in place. He had a beautiful seal and a beautiful Qur'an, and during the night prayer, he found a special spiritual state. His appeals were deep

And this relationship with God was rooted in his life. In his personal life, he paid special attention to spiritual issues and this relationship with God was clearly seen in his solitude and daily life and in his behavior.

The missile complex needs guards more than elite forces

Martyr Tehrani Moghadam had a saying: "Work should be for God's pleasure." The management environment of the father was formed on the same basis and he tried to adhere to this principle since the early years of the 1360s.

Once the human forces came to him and said that Haj Agha had emphasized once or twice to recruit guards for the missile complex. My father's explanation was that the missile complex needs troops with more specialized education, but in addition to specialization, the religious beliefs of the troops should also be taken into account. He believed that those who enter this group should be vigilant and have deep beliefs.

This view found a clearer meaning in the field of action. I closely witnessed the conditions under which the troops were working in the bases and next to the launchers. A fighter in those conditions had only six to seven minutes, and on some nights, 90% of the troops did not return to rest. I've seen this space and I know it's really cutting edge. The troops work with conviction and responsibility in situations where they may lose their lives at any moment.

Really, all the commanders of this complex did not know day and night and they were constantly trying to move things forward. One of the examples of these efforts was the decision made in 2008 to create and expand rocket cities. The implementation of such a plan was not easy at the beginning and like many big plans, it was accompanied by difficulties and resistance. Sometimes managers had to go through many obstacles to set a system in motion and put it on track, and they had to go through a lot of difficulties until the work reached the implementation stage.

Shahid Hajizadeh said in one of his speeches that if I start something right now, it will take two years. This sentence showed how much time, planning, and follow-up are needed to implement such plans. Today, the missile field is referred to as the birth certificate of a young Iranian; A field that reached its current position was the result of long efforts and follow-up of people who have been thinking about the future of this industry for years.

Sensitivity to rights and property

Father grew up in a family where my grandfather worked hard and earned Halal income with difficulty. My grandmother always said: "Mirzahabib put a halal morsel in this child's mouth." This issue showed the root of many of the father's behaviors, which were in the same family upbringing and attention to halal and haram.

After the martyrdom, I found out that Shahid even paid for gasoline for his personal trips inside the city. In the last months, when he visited his mother's house and took care of her, he calculated the cost of commuting with the workplace.

At work, he had a notebook where he wrote the details of the work; For example, it was recorded that I did personal work from 12:00 to 13:00 and I have to deduct this time from my overtime. Since half an hour was set aside for prayer and lunch at work, if he used this half hour later, he would reduce his overtime so that he would not have to pay for it. He was really meditative. Even in cases that may seem minor to others, he tried not to lose anyone's rights and not to use public facilities for personal work. When I got to know these details after his testimony, I understood more how much this sensitivity was rooted in his life.

Long friendship with Martyr Ali Akbar Sadeghi and burial next to Martyr Hajizadeh

Father had a deep friendship and interest with martyr Ali Akbar Sadeghi. He believed that he owed many of his religious behaviors to this martyr. In plot 29 of Behesht Zahra, two martyrs named Ali Akbar and Ali Asghar Sadeghi are buried. As long as the martyr's parents were alive, we used to visit them every year in the first days of Eid as a family, and our year started with this visit. Every time, the father said new things about these martyrs and reminded them of their memories and characteristics. The value of this friendship was so much that he bequeathed to be buried next to martyr Ali Akbar Sadeghi after his martyrdom.

After my father's martyrdom, they told us that they had prepared his burial place next to Haj Hassan Mohaghegh. We also reminded that his will was to be buried in plot 29, but there was no place left next to the martyrs and finally he was buried under the Hamadani Martyr's Memorial.

In the meantime, we thought about the fact that my father and Shahid Hajizadeh have been together for 41 years. With the suggestion of Hajizadeh's family, a decision was made that finally led to the design of a joint tombstone for these two martyrs. This event had a special meaning for us; Because it was a reminder of their long years of companionship and friendship, two people who spent a large part of their lives together and worked for a common goal.

A memory of my father's meeting with Martyr Seyed Hasan Nasrallah

During the martyrdom of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, I remember one of my father's meetings with him. My father explained that he had gone to meet Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and before the meeting, he had examined the weak points of Hezbollah and had attended the meeting fully prepared. When the meeting is held with Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, our Haj Agha points out the points and weak points in detail. In that meeting, Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah said that on the day of Mahshar, I will say to the Prophet (PBUH) that I had told you everything and that it is up to you to solve these problems. If something happens, it is your responsibility. After the meeting, Shahid Bagheri had gathered the people around him and formed a strong team to move things forward and take the necessary measures.

My father told me that in another meeting, Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah gave him his ring out of satisfaction and took the promise of intercession from Seyyed Hasan right there.

My father was very interested in Yemen and followed the empowerment of Yemenis with seriousness and interest. He always said: "Yemenis make us proud."

After the martyrdom of my father and martyr Hajizadeh, God allowed us to work on the character and life of these two martyrs. In this way, we conducted 180 interviews and oral history work, and through talking to people who knew them, we got to know new aspects of their lives. What attracted my attention the most in these researches was the sincerity of these two martyrs; A feature that was seen in their daily behavior, management decisions and their way of looking at responsibility. I believe that the martyrdom of Hajizadeh and Bagheri, along with their knowledge, expertise and years of round-the-clock efforts, played an important role in the formation of the astonishing results that we are witnessing today in the field of missiles.

At one time, we depended on foreigners to launch missiles, but today, in the field of design, construction, operation and various parts of this field, domestic capabilities have been formed and the country has a lot to say. Getting to this point didn't happen overnight; Behind this progress, there are years of continuous work and effort of people who put a large part of their lives in this path.