▁aircraft ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁between ▁September ▁and ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁read iness ▁rates ▁of ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁significantly ▁increased ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁months , ▁its ▁overall ▁role ▁and ▁influence ▁decl ined , ▁as ▁the ▁cler ical ▁government ▁searched ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁emphas is ▁in ▁fighting ▁on ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁Revolution ary ▁Guard ▁Corps ▁( IR GC ) ▁milit ias , ▁but ▁also ▁attempted ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁separate ▁air ▁arm ▁for ▁this ▁service . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁successful ▁liber ation ▁of ▁most ▁Iran ian ▁areas ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Ira q is , ▁in ▁late ▁spring ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁the ▁situation ▁of ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁changed ▁completely . ▁From ▁an ▁air ▁arm ▁that ▁was ▁off ensive ▁by ▁nature , ▁it ▁was ▁largely ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁air ▁defense ▁and , ▁relatively ▁s eld om , ▁tasks ▁of ▁flying ▁bomb ing ▁attacks ▁against ▁targets ▁of ▁industrial ▁and ▁military ▁significance ▁inside ▁Ira q . ▁Sim ult ane ously , ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁had ▁to ▁learn ▁to ▁maintain ▁and ▁keep ▁oper ational ▁its ▁large ▁fleet ▁of ▁U . S .- built ▁aircraft ▁and ▁hel ic op ters ▁without ▁outside ▁help , ▁due ▁to ▁American ▁san ctions . ▁Re aching ▁back ▁on ▁equipment ▁purchased ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . A . ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁Iran ians ▁began ▁establish ing ▁their ▁own ▁a eros pace ▁industry ; ▁their ▁efforts ▁in ▁this ▁remained ▁largely ▁un recogn ized ▁until ▁recently .