In the extensive collection of literature concerning the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), known in Iran as the "Sacred Defense," some stories are essential for their unique perspective and deep historical value.
"Naval Commandos in Khorramshahr: Memoirs of First Captain Hushang Samadi" is one such vital work.
Written by Seyed Ghasem Yahosseini and published by Soureh Mehr, this book breaks a thirty-year silence, providing a direct account from the front lines of one of the war's most legendary battles.
To understand the significance of this memoir, one must first appreciate the symbolic importance of Khorramshahr.
This port city, located at the meeting point of the Karun and Arvand rivers, was Iran's primary connection to the Persian Gulf.
For the invading Iraqi army, capturing it was a major strategic goal, meant to provide a quick victory and a powerful bargaining chip.
However, for Iran, Khorramshahr became much more than a city; it transformed into a symbol of national determination and sacrifice.
The fierce, house-to-house resistance there against a better-equipped enemy galvanized the Iranian nation.
The city's eventual fall after a 34-day siege was a painful loss, but the incredible delay it forced upon the Iraqi military gave Iran the critical time it needed to organize its defenses.
The battle was so destructive that it earned Khorramshahr the haunting nickname "Khuninshahr," meaning "City of Blood." Its liberation in 1982 became a massive national morale booster.
While the contributions of volunteer militias in Khorramshahr have been widely recognized, this book focuses on a crucial yet less celebrated group: the elite naval commandos of the Iranian Navy.
Under the command of First Captain Hushang Samadi, these highly trained soldiers were at the heart of the city's defense.
They paid a heavy price, suffering approximately 300 casualties, to create a story of incredible perseverance. This book is the first standalone memoir from one of these key commanders, making it a landmark publication.
The narrative is the result of 45 hours of interviews with Captain Samadi, tracing his life from his early years to his leadership during the war.
The central part of the story concentrates on the brutal 34-day defense. Samadi is presented as a courageous, capable, and deeply patriotic officer who commanded a battalion of 600 men.
The intensity of the combat is starkly clear from the fact that only 270 of them survived. Samadi himself was wounded six times but refused to leave his position.
The memoir starts with a powerful, personal moment on the first day of the invasion, September 22, 1980.
Samadi had just finished the paperwork for his retirement and could have left for a peaceful life.
Instead, after seeing Iraqi fighter jets attack his base in Bushehr, he made a life-changing decision.
He immediately went to his superior and stated, "I cannot go. If I leave, I will be ashamed for the rest of my life... I was trained for a day like this." This powerful sense of duty defines the entire account.
The book vividly describes the rapid preparation of his battalion. In an emotional nighttime departure from Bushehr, Samadi gathered his commandos.
The scene is charged with feeling as soldiers said goodbye to their families and passed under a Quran before boarding a convoy of over 100 vehicles.
Samadi's speech to his men warned them of the severe dangers ahead, including enemy air attacks, grounding the story in the harsh realities of war.
Structured in two parts and twenty-one chapters, the book is more than a series of battle stories.
It is a detailed human and strategic account of how a significantly outgunned force managed to stop a powerful invading army for weeks, causing heavy losses. It explains the cooperation between his naval commandos, local fighters, and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), illustrating a unified national defense.
"Naval Commandos in Khorramshahr" is not just a personal memoir; it is an important historical document.
For global readers, it serves as a compelling introduction to the sacrifices made during a defining conflict. It ensures that the bravery of a specific unit and its commander is no longer an untold story but a permanent and respected part of Iran's historical record.
Reported by Tohid Mahmoudpour
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