Positron annihilation technique is applied to study the recovery of radiation-induced defects in 140 MeV oxygen (O[Formula: see text]) irradiated Fe-doped semi-insulating indium phosphide during annealing over a temperature region of 25[Formula: see text]C–650[Formula: see text]C. Lifetime spectra of the irradiated sample are fitted with three lifetime components. Trapping model analysis is used to characterize defect states corresponding to the de-convoluted lifetime values. After irradiation, the observed average lifetime of positron [Formula: see text] ps at room temperature is higher than the bulk lifetime by 21 ps which reveals the presence of radiation-induced defects in the material. A decrease in [Formula: see text] occurs during room temperature 25[Formula: see text]C to 200[Formula: see text]C indicating the dissociation of higher order defects, might be due to positron trapping in acceptor-type of defects ([Formula: see text]). A reverse annealing stage is found at temperature range of 250[Formula: see text]C–425[Formula: see text]C for [Formula: see text]-parameter probably due to the migration of vacancies and the formation of vacancy clusters. Increase in [Formula: see text]-parameter from 325[Formula: see text]C to 425[Formula: see text]C indicates the change in the nature of predominant positron trapping sites. Beyond 425[Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]-parameter and [Formula: see text]-parameter starts decreasing and around 650[Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-parameter approached almost the bulk value showing the annealing out of radiation-induced defects.