- to - air ▁engag ements ▁against ▁I Q AF ▁f igh ters , ▁f ighter - b om bers , ▁and ▁bom bers , ▁were ▁fought ▁in ▁these ▁areas ▁alone ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ ▁Con front ed ▁with ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁not ▁obtain ▁rep lac ements ▁for ▁equipment ▁lost ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁a ▁war ▁of ▁attr ition ▁against ▁Ira q , ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁conflict , ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁remained ▁defence - orient ated , ▁conser ving ▁its ▁surv iving ▁assets ▁as ▁a ▁" force ▁in ▁being ". ▁From ▁mid ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁found ▁itself ▁confront ed ▁also ▁with ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁f igh ters ▁over ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁confront ations ▁that ▁occurred ▁between ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁stretch ed ▁available ▁I RI AF ▁assets ▁to ▁the ▁limit , ▁exhaust ing ▁its ▁cap ability ▁to ▁defend ▁Iran ian ▁air ▁space ▁against ▁Ira qi ▁air ▁strik es . ▁ ▁Post ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War , ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁was ▁partially ▁re - built ▁by ▁limited ▁purch ases ▁of ▁Mi G - 2 9 ▁f igh ters ▁and ▁Su - 2 4 ▁bom bers ▁from ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁F - 7 M