Iran forced Iraq to rebuild its airforces three times during the 1980s war: Iranian officer

Shafaq News/ The Deputy Commander of Iran's Air Defense Forces, Brigadier General Ali Reza Elhami, said Iran forced the "enemy" to rebuild its airforces three times in the 1980s war against Iraq.

Elhami recounted the military triumphs of Iran during the conflict spanning from 1980 to 1988 with it neighbor, which saw more 500 thousand persons killed on both sides.

"During the war imposed by Saddam's regime against Iran, the air defense shot down more than 650 aircraft of various types, including fighter jets, helicopters, and enemy military cargo aircraft," Elhami told Iranian media.

"It was a huge achievement. We forced the enemy had to rebuild its airforces three times," he continued, "we downed more than 100 enemy aircraft in the first quarter of the war alone."

"One of our biggest achievements is defending the Khark Island throughout the 2888 days of war," he said, "we lost seventeen martyrs to ensure oil exports were not interrupted."

The Brigadier General said that the Iranian aircraft completed over 2.5 million flights during the entire duration of the war. "No airport in the country was closed during the eight years of Sacred Defense," he added.

"We shot down about 65 enemy aircraft in Operation Beit al-Muqaddas," he recalled, "Similar victories were celebrated in various other operations such as Al-Fath al-Mubin and Al-Fajr 8."

On the contemporary status of Iran's air defense, Elhami said the country has achieved "self-sufficiency in drone technology", implying no reliance on any country in this regard.

The commander said that the Islamic republic has developed a highly advanced radar technology and a modern dynamic network named "the Great Prophet (PBUH)" system.

Elhami concluded by paying tribute to "the martyrs whom, and their sacrifices, we owe today's progress."

"We can proudly say that the Iranian army has the longest history in using drones, and today we have some of the best aircraft, including the highest-flying ones," he concluded.