During the imposed war, some Iranian pilots sought asylum in other countries, including Iraq, together with their aircraft and helicopters. With the exception of Iraq, the other countries returned the aircraft and helicopters that had been taken there to Iran.

Most cases in which Iranian aircraft and helicopters were taken abroad during the imposed war were organized by the People' s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MKO/MEK). This group persuaded some Iranian pilots, through inducement or threats, to hijack their aircraft or helicopters in order to use the incidents for propaganda purposes.⁠[1]

The first case of an Iranian aircraft seeking asylum occurred before the official beginning of the war. On 5 August 1980 (14 Mordad 1359), an F-27 aircraft piloted by Captain Houshang Fakhraizadeh took off from Tabriz Air Base for a gunnery exercise. Instead of flying the Tabriz– Maragheh– Tabriz route, it entered Iraq and landed at Baghdad International Airport. On 27 August 1980 (6 Shahrivar 1359), it was announced that the aircraft' s occupants had requested asylum from Iraq⁠[2]. With Iraq' s agreement, the aircraft was to be returned to Iran.⁠[3]

After the beginning of the imposed war, on 24 July 1981 (2 Mordad 1360), an Iranian Air Force Boeing 707 tanker piloted by Dariush Kheirkhah flew from Bahrain to Egypt. The pilot sought asylum, while the rest of the crew, together with the aircraft, returned to the country on 29 August 1981 (7 Shahrivar 1360).⁠[4]

On 28 July 1981 (6 Mordad 1360), in the most politically significant aircraft asylum case in Iran, an Iranian Air Force Boeing 707 tanker piloted by Behzad Moezi fled to France. Deposed President Seyyed Abolhassan Banisadr and Massoud Rajavi, leader of the People' s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MKO/MEK), were among its passengers and sought asylum in France.⁠[5] The aircraft was returned to Iran on 8 August 1981 (17 Mordad 1360).⁠[6]

Later in the imposed war, on 4 March 1982 (13 Esfand 1360), a flight formation of F-4 fighter aircraft took off from Bushehr Air Base for a training flight. The aircraft were supposed to return to Bushehr after an air-to-ground gunnery exercise. Hassan Mansouri, who was piloting one of the Phantoms from Bushehr Air Base, separated from the formation and went missing. Searches for the aircraft wreckage or its occupants were unsuccessful until that evening. A few days later, it became clear that the pilot had taken the aircraft to Dhahran Air Base in Saudi Arabia. He requested asylum in the United States, while Bahman Lotfi, the Phantom' s rear-seat pilot, who opposed the action, returned to Iran. In late March 1982 (late Esfand 1360), two Air Force pilots went to Saudi Arabia and brought the Phantom back to Iran.⁠[7]

On 3 July 1983 (12 Tir 1362), four F-5 fighter aircraft took off from the Second Fighter Base in Tabriz for a training flight. One of the F-5s, piloted by Iraj Fazeli, separated from the formation, crossed the border, and landed at an airfield near the city of Van in Turkey. A few days later, one of the pilots from Tabriz Air Base went to that country and returned the F-5 to Iran.⁠[8]

In mid-1984 (1363), an Iranian Phantom was also hijacked. Pilot Rahman Ghanatpisheh had previously been removed from flying duties for disciplinary reasons, but because of a shortage of pilots and through the intercession of Colonel Houshang Seddigh, then commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, he had returned to flying in early 1984. His brother had also been sentenced to death for drug trafficking, and his efforts to obtain a pardon for his brother had failed. Using this as a pretext, Rahman Ghanatpisheh sought asylum in Iraq on 30 August 1984 (8 Shahrivar 1363) in an F-4 fighter. Davoud Sehaty, the Phantom' s rear-seat pilot, was unaware of Ghanatpisheh' s plan and, because he did not cooperate with Iraqi intelligence, was transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp. Ghanatpisheh provided Iraq with important information about operational plans and the condition of the Air Force, particularly at Bushehr Air Base.⁠[9]

On 10 April 1985 (20 Farvardin 1364), an F-5 aircraft from Omidiyeh Air Base, piloted by Mostafa Vojdani Tabatabaei, was taken to Saudi Arabia.⁠[10] He later regretted the action and, through the efforts of the Iranian Embassy, returned to the country. After being detained for a period, he was pardoned⁠[11], but later rejoined the People' s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MKO/MEK).⁠[12]

On 21 July 1985 (30 Tir 1364), a Chinook helicopter carrying three occupants was also taken to Iraq after flying from Maragheh in East Azerbaijan Province via Piranshahr and Haj Omran, and its pilots sought asylum.⁠[13]

During the imposed war, several civilian aircraft also sought asylum in Iraq. On 12 August 1986 (21 Mordad 1365), a Falcon jet belonging to Aseman Airlines was flown to Iraq by pilot Ali-Akbar Mohammadi. One month later, the aircraft' s pilot went to West Germany and was assassinated by unidentified individuals in Hamburg on 16 January 1987 (26 Dey 1365).⁠[14]

One of the cases involving an Iranian aircraft in 1986 (1365) concerned Ahmad Moradi and an F-14 fighter. In 1985 (1364), Moradi had traveled to Germany for a period with his family. There, he established contact with representatives of the People' s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MKO/MEK) and agreed to hijack an F-14 Tomcat, together with Phoenix missiles, and deliver it to the Ba' athist regime. Moradi returned to Iran without his wife and children and requested a flight assignment, which was approved. On 2 September 1986 (11 Shahrivar 1365), Moradi flew an F-14 fighter toward Iraq, with co-pilot Hassan Najafi in the rear cockpit. A few hours later, Moradi appeared on Iraqi television and gave an interview. Hassan Najafi, however, refused asylum and was taken prisoner. Six months later, Ahmad Moradi traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to pursue his asylum application and that of his family in Europe. He was killed by a sniper in a park, and local authorities were unable to identify the perpetrator.⁠[15]

There were also cases of aircraft seeking asylum in Iraq from other countries. From the early 1960s, when the Soviet Union signed agreements with several Arab countries, including Iraq, to sell MiG-21 fighters, Israel and the United States became increasingly concerned and sought information about the secrets of this type of aircraft. Ultimately, through the efforts of Mossad, an Iraqi pilot sought asylum in Israel in 1966 with a MiG-21.⁠[16] On 19 August 1971 (28 Mordad 1350)⁠[17], an Iraqi Sukhoi aircraft also landed at Abadan Airport in Iran and sought asylum in Iran. After being inspected by Iranian technical personnel and the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the aircraft was returned to Iraq.