▁for ▁Iran ▁to ▁return ▁them ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁but ▁the ▁Iran ians ▁imp ounded ▁these ▁aircraft ▁instead , ▁claim ing ▁them ▁as ▁war ▁re par ations ▁for ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁I RI AF ▁has ▁pressed ▁into ▁service ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 ▁Su - 2 4 M K s , ▁ 7 ▁SU - 2 5 s ▁and ▁ 2 4 ▁Mira ge ▁F . 1 B Q s ▁and ▁F . 1 EQ s ▁flow n ▁from ▁Ira q , ▁while ▁all ▁the ▁other ▁types — including ▁ 4 0 ▁Su - 2 0 / 2 2 s ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁ten ▁Mi G - 2 3 s ▁of ▁various ▁versions — w ere ▁stored . ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁ ▁The ▁exact ▁current ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁is ▁hard ▁to ▁determine , ▁but ▁estimates ▁do ▁exist . ▁Many ▁aircraft ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Air ▁Force ▁took ▁refuge ▁in ▁Iran ▁during ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁and ▁many ▁were ▁put ▁into ▁service ▁with ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁or ▁taken ▁apart ▁for ▁spare ▁parts . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁continuous ▁spare ▁parts ▁short ages ▁faced ▁by ▁the ▁air ▁force , ▁a ▁decision ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁local ▁a eros pace ▁industry ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁air ▁force . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Iran ▁with ▁the ▁co - operation ▁of ▁Ukraine ,