WI: Iraqi Air Force manages to destroy bulk of Iranian Air Force?

In the first few hours of the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi air force launched a preemptive attack on Iranian airbases, destroying quite a bit of airbase infrastructure. However, they failed to destroy the Iranian planes on the ground; the Iranian air force would go on to achieve aerial superiority over the battlefield and over Iraq itself. What if the Iraqis had managed to destroy the Iranian planes?
 
If the Iraqis succeeded, I imagine the war would be over a lot sooner. Under the cover of air superiority, the Iraqis take Khuzestan (which was their war goal AFAIK) and hold it. Of course Iran will launch counteroffensives with its superior numbers, but without air support these offensives will be decimated and Iranian numerical superiority will then mean didly squat. The end result is that Iran loses Khuzestan and most of its oilfields (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CIAIranKarteOelGas.jpg).

Iran will go from being a third world country with oil to becoming a third world country without it which could possible lead to the downfall of the Ayatollahs somewhere down the line. Iraq will do better without the damages of eight years of war which crippled its economy and led to Saddam invading Kuwait. Iraq will continue to be a relatively affluent country (more so with the extra oil revenue) and most likely Saddam will still be in charge as of 2010.
 
Top