Sighting Report: Unidentified Flying Object in Abadan, Iran, 18 May 1953

On 18 May 1953, at approximately 1805 local time, a large, circular, unidentified flying object was observed by thousands of civilians in Abadan, Iran. The object, which was described as having a comet-like tail, appeared in the northwest and traveled in a northeasterly direction at a very high altitude. Witnesses reported that the object's altitude appeared to be equal to that of the moon, and its circumference was greater than the moon's. The sighting lasted for approximately 20 minutes. Tehran newspapers reported the event, with some observers calling it a 'flying saucer.' One report noted that NIOC personnel dismissed the possibility of it being a rocket because there was no smoke trail following the object. Military intelligence reports from the time indicate that no other sightings were reported in the Khuzistan province. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) evaluated the report and concluded that there was insufficient data to identify the object, suggesting that the sighting might have been caused by meteorological activity. Investigators also expressed skepticism regarding the reported 20-minute duration, noting that the object's speed and appearance were inconsistent with such a long observation time. The document includes internal correspondence from 1st Lt. Robert Olsson at ATIC, who was managing a batch of sighting reports and requesting further information on various cases, including this one, to be documented using 'Form A.'