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SF-2026-000856UnverifiedDeep State & Intel Agencies

Flying Object Observed Over Iranian Julfa Border (June 1957)

This two-page CIA document, hosted in the CIA FOIA Reading Room, reports the observation of an unidentified flying object near the Iranian frontier. According to the report, on 11 June 1957 at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time, a flying object was seen from Iranian Julfa traveling on a course from Nakhichevan. Observers described it as a ball about one-half meter in diameter with a tail about one-half meter in length, moving at high speed at an altitude of roughly 2,000 feet and visible for only a few seconds. A second observer reportedly described it as being about the size of a football, moving at a height of around 2,000 meters, and stated that a smoke track left behind the object was visible for about 15 minutes. The document text is heavily garbled from OCR/scanning, and coordinate references (Julfa, Nakhichevan) appear in degraded form. The report is characteristic of Cold War-era intelligence collection on anomalous aerial phenomena along the Iranian–Soviet border.

cia.govIncident Jun 18, 1957Discovered Jul 4, 2026487.4 KBdocument
sha256:5ba359d911ef7be513b4

Description

A declassified CIA information report describing a flying object observed on 11 June 1957 from the Iranian border town of Julfa. The object, described as a ball roughly one-half meter in diameter with a half-meter tail, was seen traveling at high speed on a course from Nakhichevan, drifting over Iranian Julfa and leaving a smoke trail.

Claims

  • On 11 June 1957 at about 11:00 a.m. local time, a flying object was seen from Iranian Julfa traveling from Nakhichevan.

    60%
  • On 1 June 1957 at about 11:00 a.m. local time a flying object was seen from Iranian Julfa traveling on a course from Nakhichevan.

    60%
  • The object appeared as a ball about one-half meter in diameter with a tail about one-half meter long, moving at high speed at roughly 2,000 feet, visible for only a few seconds.

    55%
  • The object appeared as a ball about one-half meter in diameter with a tail one-half meter in length, moving at high speed at roughly 2,000 feet altitude, visible for only a few seconds.

    55%
  • A second observer described the object as about the size of a football moving at a height of ~2,000 meters, with a smoke trail visible for about 15 minutes.

    50%
  • A second observer described the object as about the size of a football, moving at a height of about 2,000 meters, with a smoke track visible for about 15 minutes.

    50%

Events

  1. Jun 10, 1957

    Flying object observed over Iranian Julfa

    A ball-shaped flying object with a tail was observed traveling at high speed on a course from Nakhichevan over Iranian Julfa at about 11:00 a.m. local time.

  2. May 31, 1957

    Flying object sighting near Iranian Julfa

    A ball-shaped object with a tail observed at high speed and low altitude on a course from Nakhichevan, reported by at least two witnesses.

Dates mentioned

1957-06-111957-081957-06-011957-06

Keywords

Entities

Extracted text (OCR)
COUNTRY

SUBJECT

OATE OF
UNFO.

PLACE &

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on lf June at 11:60 a.a- local tine,-a flying object wis geen frum iranian

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ungee trati jet
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track feft tehini

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ceuvelling on a course fram Nukbichevan & 39-15,

_ The object appeared to te a ball about one-bali ecter in-
diameter and tic a tail one-half.weter In length. It travelled at high Bpecd

2,00 feet und wos visible for only 3 few seconds. . Tue _-
he object-drifted over-irasian Juifa rros the Ursk and -
about ® a> lO -ceniinetera in Ganeter.

ESS ss ancy Also reported
jee and descrived it ag Leing about the —————-

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moving at o height of Q000 weters. He said the snoke
object was visitle for ubout 15 minutes.

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Pranic border

OATE OF .
INFO ii sane 1957

PLACE &

enoig June at 11:00 8.9. local tine, a flying object wie peen from Iranian

Julr. AV 3&95, EF 45-3.5 couvelling on a course free Nakhichevan [8 39-15, © 85-257

tO babe, Ue the object appeared to te a btall-about-one-bali meter In

ainpeter and tvia a tail one-half ucter in length. It travelled at high speed

oa hedgat oo wot 2,008 feet and wis vieible for only 4 few Beconas.- Tur - -~
by the object drifted over Irasian Juifa rros the Ursz and

i or 10 weniimeters in dianeter.

ohune traih 2

censisted ofa

3 S oe Sees53 also reported

7 3 Firing and descriced it ag being about the
fice ar a vootenll sau moving at a helgnt of 2f00 meters. He sald the sncoke
track bert behind the object was visible for about 15 minates.

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