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[Stream HISTORY](https://play.history.com/) [Try](https://www.historyvault.com/?cmpid=HV_O_Site_H_CTA_TryHISTORYVault) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement  JUL03 JUL03 Choose another date OK July | | | | | | | | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | By: HISTORY.com Editors 1988 # U.S. warship downs Iranian passenger jet [HISTORY.com Editors](https://www.history.com/authors/history) Published: February 09, 2010 Last Updated: May 27, 2025 In the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy cruiser *Vincennes* [shoots down an Iranian passenger jet](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/) that it mistakes for a hostile Iranian fighter aircraft. Two missiles were fired from the American warship—the aircraft was hit, and all 290 people aboard were killed. The attack came near the end of the [Iran-Iraq War](https://www.history.com/topics/iran-iraq-war), when U.S. vessels were in the gulf defending Kuwaiti oil tankers. Minutes before Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down, the *Vincennes* had engaged Iranian gunboats that shot at its helicopter. Iran called the downing of the aircraft a “barbaric massacre,” but U.S. officials defended the action, claiming that the aircraft was outside the commercial jet flight corridor, flying at only 7,800 feet, and was on a descent toward the *Vincennes*. However, one month later, U.S. authorities acknowledged that the airbus was in the commercial flight corridor, flying at 12,000 feet, and not descending. The U.S. Navy report blamed crew error caused by psychological stress on men who were in combat for the first time. In 1996, the U.S. agreed to pay \$62 million in damages to the families of the Iranians killed in the attack. Advertisement Settings Quality Playback speed Quality Playback speed ## Iran-Iraq War The eight-year war between Iran and Iraq cost billions of dollars in damages and claimed millions of lives, but resulted in no real benefit to either side. 3:37m watch Timeline Also on This Day in History Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on July 3rd [1775George Washington takes command of Continental Army On July 3, 1775, George Washington rides out in front of the American troops gathered at Cambridge common in Massachusetts and draws his sword, formally taking command of the Continental Army. Washington, a prominent Virginia planter and veteran of the French and Indian War, had been appointed commander in chief by the Continental Congress two \[…\] 2:44m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/washington-takes-command-of-continental-army) [1863Battle of Gettysburg ends On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s last attempt at breaking the Union line ends in disastrous failure, bringing the most decisive battle of the American Civil War to an end. 3:50m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/battle-of-gettysburg-ends) [1887Gunfighter Clay Allison killed Clay Allison, eccentric gunfighter and rancher, is believed to have died on July 3, 1887, in a freak wagon accident in Texas. Born around 1840 in Waynesboro, Tennessee, Allison seemed to display odd tendencies from a young age. When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Confederate Army but received a rare medical discharge \[…\] 2:12m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/gunfighter-clay-allison-killed) [1890Idaho becomes 43rd state Idaho is admitted to the union on July 3, 1890. Exploration of the North American continent mostly proceeded inward from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and northward from Spanish Mexico. Therefore, the rugged territory that would become Idaho long remained untouched by Spanish, French, British and American trappers and explorers. Even as late as 1805, Idaho \[…\] 1:36m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/idaho-becomes-43rd-state) [1918Mohammed V, sultan of Turkey, dies On July 3, 1918, with Turkish forces in the final months of fighting against the Allied powers during World War I, Mohammed V, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies at the age of 73. Born in 1844 in Constantinople, Mohammed ascended to the throne in 1909 after the forced abdication of his elder brother, Abdul \[…\] 2:22m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/mohammed-v-sultan-of-turkey-dies) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [1958President Eisenhower initiates federal flood-control program On July 3, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Rivers and Harbors Flood Control Bill, which allocates funds to improve flood-control and water-storage systems across the country. Eisenhower had sent back two earlier bills to Congress, but was pleased with the revisions included in Senate Bill 3910. The bill was introduced in the wake \[…\] 1:28m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/eisenhower-initiates-federal-flood-control-program) [1969Brian Jones and Jim Morrison die, two years apart to the day Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones is found dead of an apparent accidental drowning on July 3, 1969. Two years later to the day, in 1971, Jim Morrison dies of heart failure in a Paris bathtub. For all the highly publicized brushes with the law that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards would have in the late \[…\] 3:02m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/brian-jones-and-jim-morrison-die-two-years-apart-to-the-day) [1989Mother, suspected in the deaths of her four children, admits killing two On July 3, 1989, Martha Ann Johnson gives a videotaped confession to police in Clayton County, Georgia, investigating the 1982 asphyxiation death of her 11-year-old daughter Jenny Ann Wright. The case had been re-opened after an investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution raised suspicion around the mother. Three of Johnson’s other children had died between 1977 \[…\] 2:10m read](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/a-mother-is-arrested-and-accused-of-killing-her-four-children) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ## Related [ 1980s 3 videos](https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/videos)  [1980s](https://www.history.com/topics/1980s) [What Sparked the Satanic Panic of the 1980s?](https://www.history.com/articles/what-was-satanic-panic-1980s) Fear of satanic cults and secret rituals swept the nation across music, media and even day care centers.  [1980s](https://www.history.com/topics/1980s) [When Dungeons & Dragons Cast Its Spell on 1980s America](https://www.history.com/articles/dungeons-and-dragons-1980s-craze-controversy-explained) As D\&D enchanted imaginative youth, it also became a battleground for parents and pundits who feared its influence.  [1980s](https://www.history.com/topics/1980s) [How Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor Helped Shatter the Silence Around AIDS](https://www.history.com/articles/elizabeth-taylor-rock-hudson-aids-hiv-hollywood) Hudson’s illness galvanized efforts to confront the AIDS crisis Hollywood had been ignoring. [See More](https://www.history.com/topics/1980s) ## About the author [HISTORY.com Editors](https://www.history.com/authors/history) [HISTORY.com](http://history.com/) works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including [Amanda Onion](https://www.history.com/author/amanda-onion), [Missy Sullivan](https://www.history.com/author/missy-sullivan), Christian Zapata, Cristiana Lombardo and Adrienne Donica. ## Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. ## Citation Information Article Title U.S. warship downs Iranian passenger jet Author [HISTORY.com Editors](https://www.history.com/authors/history) Website Name History URL <https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-3/u-s-warship-downs-iranian-passenger-jet> Date Accessed April 10, 2026 Publisher A\&E Television Networks Last Updated May 27, 2025 Original Published Date February 09, 2010 [](https://www.aegm.com/) [](https://www.history.com/) [HISTORY Education](https://www.history.com/classroom)[HISTORY Vault™](https://www.historyvault.com/)[HISTORY Apps](https://www.history.com/apps)[HISTORY2™](https://www.aegm.com/brands/h2)[HISTORY en Español®](https://www.history.com/espanol/schedule)[Military HISTORY®](https://www.history.com/military/schedule)[Newsletter Sign Up](https://www.history.com/emails/sign-up)[Share Your Opinions](https://www.historymakerscommunity.com/h/s2/6l5AHktZNpjKXtYEIG2pJX)[FAQ / Contact Us](https://support.history.com/hc/en-us) [Advertise with Us](https://adsales.aegm.com/)[A+E Factual Studios™](https://www.aefactualstudios.com/)[A+E Studios®](https://www.aegm.com/divisions/ae-studios)[Employment Opportunities](https://www.aegm.com/careers)[Accessibility Support](https://www.aegm.com/accessibility-support)[TV Parental Guidelines](https://www.aegm.com/guidelines) [](https://www.aetv.com/)[](https://www.mylifetime.com/)[](https://www.mylifetime.com/lmn)[](https://www.fyi.tv/)[](https://www.vicetv.com/en_us) [](https://www.history.com/leaving-ae/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.biography.com%2F)[](https://www.crimeandinvestigationnetwork.com/schedule)[](https://www.mylifetime.com/lrw/schedule) [Advertise with Us](https://adsales.aegm.com/)[A+E Factual Studios™](https://www.aefactualstudios.com/)[A+E Studios®](https://www.aegm.com/divisions/ae-studios)[Employment Opportunities](https://www.aegm.com/careers)[Accessibility Support](https://www.aegm.com/accessibility-support)[TV Parental Guidelines](https://www.aegm.com/guidelines) © 2026, A\&E Television Networks, LLC. 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In the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy cruiser *Vincennes* [shoots down an Iranian passenger jet](https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/17/accidental-shootdown-iran-united-states-ukraine/) that it mistakes for a hostile Iranian fighter aircraft. Two missiles were fired from the American warship—the aircraft was hit, and all 290 people aboard were killed. The attack came near the end of the [Iran-Iraq War](https://www.history.com/topics/iran-iraq-war), when U.S. vessels were in the gulf defending Kuwaiti oil tankers. Minutes before Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down, the *Vincennes* had engaged Iranian gunboats that shot at its helicopter. Iran called the downing of the aircraft a “barbaric massacre,” but U.S. officials defended the action, claiming that the aircraft was outside the commercial jet flight corridor, flying at only 7,800 feet, and was on a descent toward the *Vincennes*. However, one month later, U.S. authorities acknowledged that the airbus was in the commercial flight corridor, flying at 12,000 feet, and not descending. The U.S. Navy report blamed crew error caused by psychological stress on men who were in combat for the first time. In 1996, the U.S. agreed to pay \$62 million in damages to the families of the Iranians killed in the attack.