Al-e-Agha is regarded as one of the most distinguished air force commanders during the Iran–Iraq War and gained a fearful reputation  in Iraq as a skilled F-14 Tomcat pilot.

[1] In 1976, he was handpicked to train as a Grumman F-14 Tomcat pilot in the United States and upon returning to Iran in 1978 was a qualified instructor of the aircraft at the 8th Tactical Fighter Base in Isfahan.

[1] By mid-September 1980 Al-e-Agha flew more than 40 sorties with around two dozen pilots, in addition to launching a campaign to persuade dismissed officers back to service, together with IRIAF commander Colonel Javad Fakoori.

[2] Hashem Al-e-Agha was martyred on August 11, 1984 when his Tomcat was attacked by several Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 and shot down by a Super 530 missile.

[6] Cooper further attributes another victory to Al-e-Agha sometime in October 1982, in which he fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder and sent one of the two Iraqi Sukhoi Su-22s into the waters of the Persian Gulf at the time escorting commercial vessels between Bandar Mahshahr and the Kharg Island.

[2] Al-e-Agha continued to fly combat sorties until his death, regardless of not being required to do so and also repeated requests to stop risking his life in such missions.