Israel Strikes F-14 Fighter Jets At Iran Airbase: Satellite Images
- 12.03.2026, 10:13
Iran is currently the sole operator of these airplanes.
Recent Israeli strikes on an airbase in Iran have destroyed several US-made F-14 fighter jets.
This was reported by Business Insider, citing satellite imagery from space intelligence company Vantor. The footage shows the wreckage of at least two F-14 Tomcat fighter jets on the apron of the 8th Tactical Air Base in Isfahan. That city is located in central Iran.
It is noted that the affected base is the center of a fleet of "vintage Iranian Air Force F-14s."
"The image, taken Feb. 22, before the conflict began, shows scattered Tomcats and what Vantor identified as an F-7, an export version of China's Chengdu J-7. At least two F-14s were destroyed in the airstrikes - one of the planes was completely replaced by a huge burn mark. Several F-7 aircraft were also attacked," the piece said.
The piece notes that the Israeli army reported the strikes on Isfahan airport on Sunday, March 9. Two days earlier, more than a dozen Iranian planes were attacked at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.
It is notable that Iran's fleet of F-14s were also in the crosshairs during the conflict that erupted between the countries in June 2025.
Iran is now the sole operator of the F-14, manufactured by defense giant Northrop Grumman.
How Iran got U.S. F-14s
The aircraft was put into service by the U.S. Navy in the 1970s and was used until 2006. This fighter jet was designed to be launched from aircraft carriers. The Pentagon later replaced the F-14 with the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
"The United States sold Iran nearly 80 F-14 aircraft a few years before the 1979 Iranian revolution that ended the partnership between the two countries. Since then, Tehran's fleet has been gradually shrinking due to growing maintenance and logistical problems. It is now believed that only a few dozen aircraft remain, although the exact number is unknown," the author of the piece explains.
Iran's air force is largely obsolete, given international sanctions. In fact, the country's air fleet is a mix of old American F-14s and F-5s and Soviet-era aircraft such as Su-24s and MiG-29s. Given its limited air capabilities, Tehran relies on ballistic missiles and attack drones.