- re volution ary ▁cha os , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁of ▁those ▁considered ▁as ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁Shah , ▁pro - U . S . ▁or ▁elsewhere ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁government ▁in ▁Te h ran . ▁ ▁Its ▁other ▁personnel ▁were ▁also ▁dec im ated ▁by ▁the ▁p urg es , ▁with ▁many ▁pil ots ▁removed ▁or ▁leaving ▁the ▁air ▁force . ▁ ▁This ▁left ▁the ▁air ▁force ▁ill - prep ared ▁for ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War . ▁ ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War ▁▁ ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁p urg es ▁and ▁forced ▁ret ire ments , ▁as ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁Iran ian ▁Revolution , ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁man power ▁of ▁the ▁service ▁being ▁hal ved ▁between ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁and ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁leaving ▁the ▁I RI AF ▁ill - prep ared ▁for ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War ▁( also ▁called ▁the ▁" 1 st ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁War "). ▁The ▁sudden ▁Ira qi ▁air ▁strik es ▁against ▁six ▁Iran ian ▁air fields ▁and ▁four ▁other ▁military ▁install ations , ▁launched ▁on ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁came ▁as ▁a ▁complete ▁surprise ▁and ▁caused ▁a ▁shock ▁in ▁the ▁renamed ▁" I RI AF ", ▁which ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁re organ izing ▁following ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁revolution ▁which ▁had ▁ended ▁ 1 ▁year ▁earlier . ▁Nevertheless ,