Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force is the Shah’s air force with a new name: founded as the Imperial Iranian Air Force in 1925, built into one of the world’s best-equipped air forces with American F-4s, F-5s and the only export F-14 Tomcats, then cut off from its supplier in 1979, it fought Iraq for eight years, kept its American jets flying through sanctions, and in 2025 and 2026 met the Israeli and US air forces with a fleet whose newest fighter was delivered in 1990 — while the missiles and drones that matter most in Iran’s wars belong to a separate service, the IRGC Aerospace Force.
The Iranian air force story: the Shah’s Tomcats, eight years against Iraq and two wars against superior air forces
1925–1941: a small air force between Britain and Russia
Iran’s military aviation began under Reza Shah, who built a small air arm inside the army in the early 1920s; Wikipedia dates its operational start to 25 February 1925, when the first trained pilots joined. Until 1955 the air force, like the navy, remained formally a branch of the army, according to Encyclopaedia Iranica. Its inventory before the Second World War was a mix of British, French, German and Soviet-built biplanes: Hawker Furies and Harts, Bréguet 14s and 19s, and Polikarpov copies of the DH.4 and DH.9A. When British and Soviet forces invaded on 25 August 1941 that collection could do little. Wikipedia’s account of the invasion credits the RAF with shooting down six Iranian fighters over central Iran without loss and lists seven Iranian aircraft destroyed in all. Reza Shah abdicated in September 1941 and the air force, like the rest of the country, spent the war under Allied occupation.
1941–1979: the Shah’s air force, built with American money
After the war the United States became the patron. American training missions dated from 1942 and formal advisory groups from 1947–1950 (Iranica). Iran received 34 F-84G Thunderjets from May 1957 under US military aid, F-86F Sabres in unknown numbers, and from February 1965 the first of 104 F-5As and 23 F-5Bs. Then oil money replaced aid. Iran ordered 177 F-4E Phantoms (the first arriving in March 1971) and 16 RF-4Es, received 166 F-5E/Fs between 1974 and 1976, and in January 1974 ordered 80 F-14A Tomcats with 714 AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, becoming the only country besides the United States to fly the type. By 1977, Iranica says, the air force had about 100,000 people, 22 squadrons and some 400 combat aircraft, with Boeing 707 and 747 tankers. Orders for more than 150 F-16s and 250 F-18L Hornets placed in 1976 were never delivered.
1979–1980: revolution, purges and a coup plot
The 1979 revolution broke that air force in two ways. Its supplier became its enemy, and its own officers became suspects. The service was renamed the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. Wikipedia’s account says purges and forced retirements halved its manpower between February 1979 and July 1980. Then came the Nojeh coup plot of 9–10 July 1980, centred on the air base near Hamadan: the authorities announced 284 arrests and 144 executions, and between 2,000 and 4,000 military personnel were dismissed in the months that followed. Iraq invaded ten weeks later.
1980–1988: the war with Iraq
The war with Iraq, from 22 September 1980 to 20 August 1988, was the air force’s defining test. Iraq opened with a surprise strike on Iranian airfields; Iran answered from 23 September with Operation Kaman 99, which Iranian accounts describe as about 140 fighter-bombers attacking Iraqi air bases, and on 30 September with Operation Scorch Sword, an F-4 raid on Iraq’s Osirak reactor site. On 4 April 1981 eight Phantoms, refuelling at low level from 707 and 747 tankers, struck the H-3 air base complex in western Iraq; Iran claims more than 40 Iraqi aircraft destroyed there. Iran’s F-14 crews claimed at least 160 Iraqi aircraft in the war, according to the historians Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, who themselves confirm a smaller number; Iraq disputes many of the claims. Embargo, attrition and purges wore the fleet down, and by the mid-1980s only 20 to 30 Phantoms were still flying, by Wikipedia’s estimate. The war ended in stalemate. Weeks before the ceasefire, on 3 July 1988, the US cruiser Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 aboard; the US crew had taken the Airbus for an F-14 from Bandar Abbas.
1988–2024: sanctions, improvisation and a rival service
After 1988 the air force lived on what it could buy from Moscow and Beijing, what it could make, and what fell into its lap. MiG-29s arrived from 1990; Chinese F-7s were already in service. In 1991 some 137 Iraqi aircraft fled to Iran to escape the coalition, among them 24 Mirage F1s and 24 Su-24s; Iran kept them as reparations and returned only seven Su-25s, in 2014. Iranian industry kept the F-4s, F-5s and F-14s flying and built F-5 derivatives — the Azarakhsh, the Saeqeh and, in 2018, the Kowsar, which Iran called a 100 per cent indigenous fourth-generation fighter and outside analysts called an F-5. Meanwhile power moved elsewhere. Air defence was separated into its own branch in 2008, and the IRGC Aerospace Force, a different service under the Revolutionary Guards, took charge of Iran’s ballistic missiles and long-range drones — the weapons Iran actually used against Israel in April and October 2024.
2025–2026: two wars against superior air forces
In June 2025 and again from 28 February 2026, the air force met the Israeli Air Force and, in 2026, the United States. Israel’s military said it destroyed F-14s, F-5s and a KC-707 tanker on the ground in the Twelve-Day War of 13–24 June 2025, and Western reporting describes Israeli air superiority within days. In the 2026 war Israel says an F-35I shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran on 4 March, and Qatar says it shot down two Su-24s heading for Al Udeid on 2 March. Yet the old fleet also went on the offensive: NBC News, as reported by Forbes, said an Iranian F-5 bombed the US Camp Buehring in Kuwait. A promised Su-35 has still not been confirmed delivered. What remains of the fleet after 2026 cannot be stated reliably from open sources; this page gives each side’s claims and does not publish current dispositions.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایرانNiru-ye Havayi-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran: the Air Force of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Commonly abbreviated IRIAF in English
- Founded
- 25 February 1925As the Imperial Iranian Air Force under Reza Shah; renamed after the 1979 revolution. It was formally a branch of the army until 1955
- Part of
- Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh)One of four Artesh branches with the Ground Forces, Navy and Air Defence Force. It is separate from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Aerospace Force
- Headquarters
- Tehran
- Commander
- Brig. Gen. Bahman BehmardSince 17 December 2025, succeeding Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi (2021–2025)
Strength
- Personnel
- 35,000–37,00037,000 in the IISS Military Balance 2024 as cited by Wikipedia; 35,000 in Wikipedia’s Artesh article. Pre-2026-war figures
- Combat aircraft
-
- F-4D/E/RF-4E Phantom II — 65
- F-14 Tomcat — 41
- F-5E Tiger II — 35
- Su-24 — 21
- MiG-29 — 18
- F-7 — 17
- Mirage F1EQ — 12
FlightGlobal’s directory with data at 1 October 2025, i.e. before the 2026 war. These are inventory counts, not serviceable aircraft: Tom Cooper estimated only about ten F-14s operational before 2026, and Wikipedia lists up to 25. Losses claimed by Israel and the US in 2025 and 2026 are not deducted
- Tankers, transport and special mission
-
- C-130E/H — 28
- Boeing 747 — 6
- Il-76 — 6
- Boeing 707 — 3 tankers, 2 electronic warfare
- F27 — 5
- P-3F Orion — 5
- PC-6 — 10
- Falcon 50 — 1
FlightGlobal, data at 1 October 2025. The Israeli military said it destroyed a KC-707 at Mashhad in June 2025, reportedly the only serviceable tanker
- Trainers
-
- PC-7 — 34
- F-5F — 15
- MiG-29UB — 6
- Mirage F1BQ — 5
- Yak-130 — 2
FlightGlobal, data at 1 October 2025. Wikipedia also lists about 25 Super Mushshak trainers with the air force; FlightGlobal places 25 MFI-17s with the IRGC instead
- Helicopters
-
- Bell 206 — 2
- Bell 212 — 1
- CH-47C Chinook — 2
The air force has few helicopters; most Iranian military helicopters belong to Army Aviation and the IRGC
- On order
- Su-35 — 25 (unconfirmed)FlightGlobal lists 25 Su-35s on order. Iranian officials have spoken of the purchase since 2022; no delivery had been confirmed in the sources consulted by October 2026
Infrastructure
- Tactical air bases
- 17 numbered basesWikipedia counts 17 Tactical Fighter Bases (TFBs), most built under the Shah. This page does not list current unit dispositions
- Air defence
- Separate branch since 2008Ground-based air defence and the radar network belong to the Air Defence Force of the Artesh, part of the air force from 1954 to 2008. Commander since 15 December 2025: Brig. Gen. Alireza Elhami
- Missiles and long-range drones
- Not air forceIran’s ballistic missiles and long-range attack drones belong to the IRGC Aerospace Force, a separate service founded on 17 September 1985. The Iranian strikes on Israel of April and October 2024 were IRGC operations; Israel’s retaliation of 26 October 2024 hit air defences and missile production
- Aircraft industry
- F-5 derivatives built in IranAzarakhsh, Saeqeh and Kowsar, all derived from the F-5; three Kowsars had been delivered by June 2020, according to Wikipedia
- War damage 2025–2026
- Claimed heavy, not independently totalledIsrael and the United States say they struck many Iranian air bases and destroyed aircraft on the ground in June 2025 and from February 2026. Iran has not published an aircraft loss figure in the sources consulted
How the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force is organised
One of four branches of the Artesh, Iran’s regular army, separate from the Revolutionary Guards and their Aerospace Force, with 17 numbered tactical air bases by Wikipedia’s count. Before the 2026 war its front line was still the American jets bought by the Shah — 65 Phantoms, 41 Tomcats and 35 F-5Es in FlightGlobal’s directory — with 18 MiG-29s bought after the Iran–Iraq war and 21 Su-24s that fled from Iraq in 1991. Air defence has been a separate branch since 2008, the ballistic missiles and long-range drones belong to the IRGC, and Iran does not publish which squadrons fly from which base.
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
One of the four branches of the Artesh, Iran’s regular army, and separate from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Aerospace Force. Brig. Gen. Bahman Behmard took command on 17 December 2025 from Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi, commander since 19 September 2021; Behmard had earlier commanded the 4th air base at Dezful and the Mehrabad air base. Wikipedia names Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami as commander-in-chief of the Artesh.
Fighter and strike fleet
FlightGlobal’s directory, with data at 1 October 2025, lists 65 F-4D/E/RF-4E Phantoms, 41 F-14 Tomcats, 35 F-5Es, 21 Su-24s, 18 MiG-29s, 17 F-7s and 12 Mirage F1EQs. These are inventory counts from before the 2026 war, not serviceable aircraft, and losses claimed by Israel and the United States are not deducted. Wikipedia counts 17 numbered tactical air bases; Iran does not publish which squadrons fly from which, and this page does not repeat unofficial dispositions.
Tankers, transport and special mission
FlightGlobal lists 28 C-130E/Hs, six Boeing 747s, six Il-76s, three 707 tankers and two 707 electronic warfare aircraft, five F27s, five P-3F Orions and ten PC-6s. The Israeli military said it destroyed a KC-707 at Mashhad in June 2025, reportedly the only serviceable tanker, and Wikipedia lists further 707, 747, Il-76 and C-130 losses in 2026. English Wikipedia describes Mehrabad as the largest base, with fighters, transports and government aircraft.
Trainer fleet
FlightGlobal lists 34 PC-7s, 15 F-5Fs, six MiG-29UBs, five Mirage F1BQs and two Yak-130s, first delivered in September 2023; Israel says an F-35I shot down a Yak-130 over Tehran on 4 March 2026. Wikipedia also lists about 25 Super Mushshak trainers with the air force, which FlightGlobal places with the IRGC instead, and the F-7s are largely relegated to training.
Helicopter fleet
The air force has few helicopters: FlightGlobal lists two Bell 206s, one Bell 212 and two CH-47C Chinooks. Most Iranian military helicopters belong to Army Aviation and the IRGC.
Air Defence Force
Not part of the air force since 2008: ground-based air defence and the radar network, part of the air force from 1954, became a separate branch of the Artesh that year. Brig. Gen. Alireza Elhami has commanded it since 15 December 2025.
IRGC Aerospace Force
A different service, under the Revolutionary Guards, founded on 17 September 1985. It controls Iran’s ballistic missiles, long-range drones and space programme, plus a small fleet of its own, and carried out the strikes on Israel of April and October 2024, June 2025 and 2026. Its commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh was killed by Israel on 13 June 2025; Wikipedia names Majid Mousavi as his successor.
What the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grumman F-14A TomcatIn service | Interceptor | 41 | 1976 | — | 41 in FlightGlobal’s directory (data 1 October 2025); Wikipedia lists up to 25; Tom Cooper estimated about ten operational before 2026.
MoreIsrael’s military said it destroyed five in June 2025, and March 2026 satellite imagery showed at least eight more destroyed at one base, though some were reportedly decoys. The surviving number is unknown. |
|
| McDonnell Douglas F-4D/E and RF-4E Phantom IIIn service | Fighter-bomber and reconnaissance | 65 | 1970 | — | 65 F-4D/E/RF-4E in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025); Wikipedia lists 63. Wikipedia says the Israeli air force destroyed one at Tabriz on 1 March 2026. | |
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIIn service | Light fighter and trainer | 50 | 1974 | — | 35 F-5E plus 15 F-5F trainers in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). Losses claimed by Israel in 2025 and 2026 are not deducted. | |
| Sukhoi Su-24MKIn service | Strike | 21 | 1991 | — | 21 in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). Qatar’s defence ministry said it shot down two on 2 March 2026; Forbes notes that MEMRI later questioned whether the incident happened. | |
| Mikoyan MiG-29A/UBIn service | Fighter | 24 | 1990 | — | 18 MiG-29 plus 6 two-seat trainers in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | |
| Chengdu F-7N and FT-7NIn service | Fighter, mainly training | 17 | — | 17 in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025); Wikipedia gives 11 F-7 and one FT-7 in 2023.
MoreWikipedia reports nine or ten destroyed on the ground by Israeli strikes on 7 March 2026 and one more by a US strike on 21 March 2026. |
||
| Dassault Mirage F1EQ and F1BQIn service | Multirole fighter | 17 | 1991 | — | 12 F1EQ and 5 F1BQ trainers in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | |
| Sukhoi Su-22M4In service | Attack | — | 1991 | — | Sources disagree on who flies them: Wikipedia lists 30 with the air force, while FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025) lists nine with the IRGC and none with the air force. | |
| HESA KowsarIn service | Light fighter and trainer | — | 2020 | — | Three delivered by 25 June 2020 according to Wikipedia; Wikipedia’s air force inventory gives five. Not listed separately by FlightGlobal. | |
| HESA Azarakhsh and SaeqehIn service | Light fighter | — | — | Wikipedia lists six Azarakhsh; Saeqeh numbers were not confirmed. | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-130In service | Advanced trainer and light attack | 2 | 2023 | — | Two in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025); exact numbers and cost were never disclosed. The Israeli military said an F-35I shot one down over Tehran on 4 March 2026. | |
| Pilatus PC-7In service | Basic trainer | 34 | — | 34 in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025); 35 bought. | ||
| Lockheed P-3F OrionIn service | Maritime patrol | 5 | — | Five in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | ||
| Boeing 707 (tanker and electronic warfare)In service | Tanker, electronic warfare | 5 | — | Three tankers and two electronic-warfare aircraft in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025).
MoreIsrael’s military showed evidence of destroying a KC-707 at Mashhad in June 2025, reportedly the only serviceable tanker; Wikipedia lists further 707 losses in 2026. |
||
| Boeing 747In service | Strategic transport and tanker | 6 | — | Six in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). Wikipedia lists three destroyed in the 2026 war. | ||
| Lockheed C-130E/H HerculesIn service | Tactical transport | 28 | — | 28 in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). Wikipedia lists one destroyed in the 2026 war. | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76In service | Strategic transport | 6 | — | Six in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). Wikipedia lists four destroyed in the 2026 war. | ||
| Fokker F27In service | Transport | 5 | — | Five in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | ||
| Pilatus PC-6 PorterIn service | Utility | 10 | — | Ten in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | ||
| Dassault Falcon 50In service | Reconnaissance | 1 | — | One in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | ||
| Boeing CH-47C ChinookIn service | Heavy-lift helicopter | 2 | — | Two in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). | ||
| Bell 206 and Bell 212In service | Utility helicopter | 3 | — | Two Bell 206 and one Bell 212 in FlightGlobal (data 1 October 2025). |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-35On order | 25 | FlightGlobal lists 25 on order (data 1 October 2025).
MoreTasnim reported a deal in December 2022; Iran’s deputy defence minister said on 28 November 2023 that a purchase was finalised, without numbers; a reported order of 24 in April 2024 was denied by Iranian media; IRGC commander Ali Shadmani said in January 2025 that Su-35s had been bought; an Iranian lawmaker said on 23 September 2025 that they were ‘on the way’. No delivery had been confirmed in the sources consulted. After June 2025 RFE/RL reported unconfirmed approaches to China for the J-10C instead. |
Every type the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force has retired
6 types, from the Republic F-84G Thunderjet to the Republic F-84G Thunderjet. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic F-84G Thunderjet | Fighter-bomber | 34 | 1957–1965 | F-5A | 34 aircraft. | |
| Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and RF-5A | Light fighter | 127 | 1965– | F-5E/F Tiger II | 104 F-5A and 23 F-5B by 1972, plus 15 RF-5A. | |
| North American F-86F Sabre | Day fighter | — | — | — | Number unknown. | |
| Hawker Fury | Fighter | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Hawker Hart | Light bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Bréguet 19 (and Bréguet 14) | Reconnaissance bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. |
Where the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Nine of the eleven active bases share their runways with civil airports, from Tehran’s Mehrabad to Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, and several were struck by Israel in June 2025 and again in the 2026 war, according to Wikipedia’s accounts. Doshan Tappeh, Tehran’s military airfield before Mehrabad, is closed to flying. Khatami Air Base at Isfahan, built in the 1970s for the F-14, has no published coordinates and carries no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandar AbbasBandar Abbas International AirportHormozgan Province | OIKB | Active | 03R/21L3,660 m03L/21R3,457 m |
|
| BushehrBushehr AirportBushehr Province | OIBB | Active | 13R/31L4,470 m13L/31R4,469 m |
|
| Chabahar KonarakChabahar Konarak International AirportSistan and Baluchestan Province | OIZC | Active | 09R/27L3,000 m09L/27R3,814 m |
|
| KhatamiIsfahanIsfahan Province | Active | — |
|
|
| MashhadMashhad Shahid Hasheminejad International AirportRazavi Khorasan Province | OIMM | Active | — |
|
| MehrabadTehran Mehrabad International AirportTehran Province | OIII | Active | 11L/29R3,989 m11R/29L4,041 m |
|
| OmidiyehKhuzestan Province | OIAJ | Active | 12R/30L4,115 m12L/30R3,505 m |
|
| Shahid NojehHamadanHamadan Province (Kabudarahang County) | OIHS | Active | — |
|
| ShirazShiraz Shahid Dastghaib International AirportFars Province | OISS | Active | — |
|
| TabrizTabriz Shahid Madani International AirportEast Azerbaijan Province | OITT | Active | — |
|
| VahdatiDezfulKhuzestan Province | OIAD | Active | 14R/32L3,853 m14L/32R3,575 m |
|
| Doshan TappehTehranTehran Province | OIID | Closed | — |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. Iran does not publish which squadrons fly from which base, so each current entry names only the air force at that base; the units named are historical records, such as the 33rd Tactical Fighter Squadron that flew the Osirak raid from Nojeh in September 1980. The Russian bombers that used Nojeh in August 2016 are listed and marked as not Iranian.
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Mehrabad air baseTactical air base · active
- —
- Imperial Iranian Air Force, first jet units1956–1979
- Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, Republic F-84G Thunderjet
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Shahid Nojeh air baseTactical air base · active
- —
- 33rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (as recorded in 1980)1980–1980
- McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II
- Russian Aerospace Forces detachment2016–2016
- Tupolev Tu-22M3, Sukhoi Su-34
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Tactical Air Base 2Tactical air base · active
- —
- F-5E fighter-bomber units (as recorded 1980–1981)1980–1981
- Northrop F-5E Tiger II
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, 4th air baseTactical air base · active
- —
- F-5E fighter-bomber units (as recorded in 1980)1980–1980
- Northrop F-5E Tiger II
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, OmidiyehTactical air base · active
- —
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, BushehrTactical air base · active
- —
- F-4E fighter-bomber units (as recorded in 1980)1980–1980
- McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, ShirazTactical and logistics air base · active
- —
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, IsfahanTactical air base · active
- —
- Imperial Iranian Air Force F-14 Tomcat force1976–1979
- Grumman F-14A Tomcat
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Bandar AbbasTactical air base · active
- —
- F-14A Tomcat detachment (as recorded in 1988)1988–1988
- Grumman F-14A Tomcat
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, KonarakTactical air base · active
- —
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, MashhadTactical air base · active
- —
No unit matches that search.
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
25 February: Iran’s first trained military pilots join; the date Wikipedia gives for the start of the Imperial Iranian Air Force.
25 August: British and Soviet forces invade. Wikipedia lists seven Iranian aircraft destroyed, six of them fighters shot down by the RAF.
May: the first of 34 F-84G Thunderjets arrive under US military aid.
February: the first 11 F-5As and two F-5Bs arrive.
March: the first of 177 F-4E Phantoms arrives; RF-4Es had arrived in 1970.
January: Iran orders 80 F-14A Tomcats and 714 Phoenix missiles; F-5E/F deliveries begin.
January: the first F-14 arrives. Orders placed for more than 150 F-16s, never delivered.
February: the revolution. The service is renamed the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force; purges halve its manpower by July 1980, according to Wikipedia.
9–10 July: the Nojeh coup plot is broken up. 22 September: Iraq attacks Iranian airfields. 23 September: Operation Kaman 99. 30 September: Operation Scorch Sword against Osirak.
4 April: eight Phantoms raid the H-3 air bases in western Iraq.
18 April: Iranian F-4s engage US warships during Operation Praying Mantis. 3 July: USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655. 20 August: ceasefire with Iraq.
7 October: MiG-29s become operational with the air force.
About 137 Iraqi aircraft flee to Iran during the Gulf War; Iran impounds them.
Air defence becomes a separate branch of the Artesh.
21 August: the HESA Kowsar is unveiled.
September: the first Yak-130s are delivered. 28 November: Iran says a Su-35 purchase is finalised.
13–24 June: the Twelve-Day War with Israel. 17 December: Brig. Gen. Bahman Behmard takes command.
28 February: the US and Israel begin the 2026 Iran war. 2 March: Qatar says it shot down two Su-24s. 4 March: Israel says an F-35I shot down a Yak-130. 8 April: a ceasefire begins.
Every war the Iranian air force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran 1941 Reconnaissance and limited air combat against the RAF and the Soviet air force
- The Dhofar rebellion 1973–1976 Supported the Imperial Iranian Task Force fighting for the Sultan of Oman, with helicopters for supply and fighter support
- The Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988 Counter-air raids on Iraqi bases, interdiction, close support, air defence of Iranian cities and oil terminals, and tanker escort
- Clashes with the US Navy in the Persian Gulf 1988 F-4s tried to attack US warships during Operation Praying Mantis
- Strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq 2014 Reported F-4 strikes on Islamic State militants near the Iranian border
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
What is the Iranian air force called in Persian?
What is the difference between the Iranian air force and the IRGC Aerospace Force?
What fighter jets does Iran have?
Does Iran still fly the F-14 Tomcat?
How many Iraqi aircraft did Iranian F-14s shoot down?
Has Iran received the Su-35?
Why did the USS Vincennes shoot down Iran Air Flight 655?
What happened to the Iranian air force in the 2025 and 2026 wars?
Can Iran build its own fighter jets?
Who commands the Iranian air force?
Read the aircraft the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Encyclopaedia Iranica: Army vi. Pahlavi period (M. J. Sheikh-ol-Islami)Air force a branch of the army until 1955; US missions from 1942; 1977 strength of about 100,000, 22 squadrons and 400 combat aircraft.
- FlightGlobal: World Air Forces directory (data at 1 October 2025)Iran air force and IRGC inventory by type, including 25 Su-35 on order. The document is headed World Air Forces 2025 with data at 1 October 2025; Wikipedia cites it as World Air Forces 2026 (published December 2025).
- RFE/RL: Iran Pivots Toward China, But Is Beijing Ready To Play Ball? (1 July 2025)No Su-35 delivered; unconfirmed J-10C approaches; fleet condition after the June 2025 war.
- Forbes (Paul Iddon): Iran’s Outdated Air Force Went On The Offensive During U.S.-Israel War (4 May 2026)NBC report of F-5 strike on Camp Buehring; Su-24 incident and MEMRI doubts; Akraminia statement of 28 April 2026; Farzin Nadimi assessment.
- Mehr News Agency (English): Air Force tag pageIranian state-linked media; headlines quoting Behmard (27 December) and Vahedi as commander.
- OurAirports: airports in Iran (public-domain data)Coordinates and elevations matched by ICAO code for OIII, OITT, OIHS, OIAD, OIAJ, OIBB, OISS, OIKB, OIZC, OIMM, OIID and OIFM. Not an AIP.
- OurAirports: Nojeh Air Base (OIHS)35.211601, 48.653400; elevation 5,609 ft; medium airport.
- GlobalSecurity: Hamadan / Shahrokhi / Nojeh air baseOpen-source reference; Su-34 seen 23 November 2015; Russian use 16–22 August 2016; conflicting runway figures and a position that appears to be Hamadan civil airport. Used only where stated.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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