The H-3 airstrike (Persian: ) was a surprise air attack by the Iranian Air Force during the IranIraq War on 4 April 1981 against the airbases of the Iraqi Air Force at the H-3 Air Base in western Iraq. The Iranians destroyed at least 48 Iraqi aircraft on the ground with no losses of their own. Based on the results achieved, it is considered one of the most successful raids in the history of aerial warfare.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF; Persian: نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Nirvi-ye Hevayi-ye Artesh-e Jimhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran) is the aviation branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The present Air Force came into being when the Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed in 1979. It is one of the few air forces in the Middle East with experience in a conventional war, having fought the Iran-Iraq War. It has carried out major operations like Operation Kaman 99, Operation Sultan 10, the H-3 airstrike, and the first attack on a nuclear reactor in history, Operation Scorch Sword. As a result of fighting a brutal and intense non-stop air war for 8 years, the IRIAF has the highest number of fighter aces in the region (besides the IAF), having as many as 7 people with more than 6 kills. Most of these aces achieved their status flying the F-14 Tomcat jet. Evolving from its experiences in that conflict, the IRIAF has developed real battle tested tactics and a cadre of skillful pilots. Many of them, both veterans of the 8-year war and senior generals, form the core of today's IRIAF command.

The Air Force has attempted with some success to maintain in service the large number of American-built aircraft which Iran acquired during the Shah's regime. The Air Force has turned to purchases of Russian and Chinese aircraft, as well as pressing ex-Iraqi and indigenously built aircraft into service, in order to maintain a capable force. As of 2021, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force possesses 161 fighters, making it the 17th largest air arm in the world in terms of the number of fighter planes, as per Global Firepower.