پرواز مسافربری شماره ۶۵۵ شرکت هواپیمایی ایران ایر با شناسه 'IR655' از بندر عباس به مقصد دبی در تاریخ ۱۲ تیر ۱۳۶۷ (۳ ژوییه ۱۹۸۸ میلادی) در حرکت بود که با شلیک موشک هدایت شونده از ناو یو‌اس‌اس وینسنس متعلق به نیروی دریایی ایالات متحده آمریکا بر فراز خلیج فارس سرنگون شد و تمامی ۲۹۰ مسافر آن که شامل ۴۶ مسافر غیر ایرانی و ۶۶ کودک[۱] بودند، جان باختند.

 

Iran Air Flight 655 (IR655) was a civilian jet airliner shot down by U.S. missiles on 3 July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz, toward the end of the Iran–Iraq War. The aircraft, an Airbus A300B2-203 operated by Iran Air, was flying from Bandar Abbas, Iran, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when it was destroyed by the U.S. Navy's guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes, killing all 290 passengers and crew aboard, including 66 children,[1] ranking it seventh among the deadliest airliner fatalities.[2] It was the highest death toll of any aviation incident in the Indian Ocean and the highest death toll of any incident involving an Airbus A300 anywhere in the world. Vincennes was traversing the Strait of Hormuz, inside Iranian territorial waters, and at the time of the attack IR655 was within Iranian airspace.[3]

USS Vincennes (CG-49) Aegis large screen displays.jpg

According to the US government, the crew identified the Iranian Airbus A300 as an attacking F-14 Tomcat fighter. The Iranian government maintains that the Vincennes knowingly shot down the civilian aircraft. The event generated a great deal of controversy and criticism of the U.S. Some analysts have blamed U.S. military commanders and the captain of the Vincennes for reckless and aggressive behavior in a tense and dangerous environment.[4][5]

In 1996, the United States and Iran reached "an agreement in full and final settlement of all disputes, differences, claims, counterclaims" relating to the incident at the International Court of Justice.[6] As part of the settlement, the United States agreed to pay US$61.8 million, an average of $213,103.45 per passenger, in compensation to the families of the Iranian victims. However, the United States has never admitted responsibility, nor apologized to Iran.[7]

 

As of summer 2009 Iran Air was still using flight number IR655 on the Tehran–Dubai route.[8]