▁provided ▁military ▁assistance ▁to ▁that ▁country , ▁during ▁the ▁D hof ar ▁re bell ion . ▁During ▁this ▁conflict , ▁one ▁Iran ian ▁F - 4 ▁Ph antom ▁II ▁was ▁shot ▁down ▁by ▁reb els . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Iran ian ▁Air ▁Force ▁respond ed ▁to ▁a ▁U FO ▁incident ▁over ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁capital , ▁Te h ran . ▁ ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁II AF ▁became ▁the ▁only ▁military ▁force ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁to ▁be ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁F - 1 4 ▁Tom cat . ▁Con sequently , ▁it ▁also ▁became ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁operator ▁of ▁the ▁A IM - 5 4 ▁Phoenix ▁air - to - air ▁miss ile . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁Iran ian ▁revolution , ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁plan es ▁were ▁not ▁in ▁working ▁order ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁necessary ▁spare ▁parts , ▁because ▁of ▁an ▁American ▁arms ▁embargo ▁and ▁damage ▁sust ained ▁on ▁the ▁aircraft ▁during ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁invasion ▁( I ran – I ra q ▁War ). ▁Some ▁were ▁brought ▁back ▁into ▁service , ▁due ▁to ▁local ised ▁production ▁of ▁reverse - engine ered , ▁Iran ian - made , ▁spare ▁parts , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁" c ann ib al ism " ▁( the ▁process ▁of ▁taking ▁working ▁parts ▁from ▁dam aged ▁aircraft ▁and ▁using ▁them ▁to ▁repair ▁others ). ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁era , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁instit uted ▁the