Iran confirmed that Mehdi Firoozmand was killed in a nighttime training accident on 19 Feb 2026 when a two-seat F-4 Phantom II crashed in Hamadan, Iran, after taking off from Shahid Nojeh Air Base.

F-4 Phantom: The Mach 2.2 Jet That Defined Cold War Airpower Summary and Key Points – The F-4 Phantom II emerged from the U.S. Navy’s 1950s demand for a radar-and-missile interceptor that could defend ...