The Israeli Air Force (IAF) released footage showing two Iranian F-14 Tomcat fighter jets destroyed in a precision drone strike near Tehran, amid ongoing airstrikes between Israel and Iran.
According to the IAF, the aircraft were targeted while parked outside Mehrabad International Airport, which is known to host MiG-29s and Su-24s.
חיל-האוויר תקף היום זוג מטוסי F14 בשדה תעופה בטהראן, שנועדו בין היתר ליירט כלי טיס של חיל-האוויר. pic.twitter.com/9AsRXRvEzA
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 16, 2025
“The Air Force attacked a pair of F-14 aircraft at an airport in Tehran today. These planes were intended, among other things, to intercept Air Force aircraft,” IAF wrote on X.
Both F-14s appeared non-flyable, with one showing visible damage to its tail section. These jets had been stationary and visible in satellite imagery for years.
Iran remains the last country to operate the F-14, which the U.S. Navy retired in 2006. The country acquired 79 F-14s in the 1970s before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Since then, it has relied on reverse engineering and smuggling parts to keep a small number operational. Recent estimates suggest Iran maintains about 20–24 airworthy F-14s, primarily based at Shahid Babaei Air Base in Isfahan. Some have been upgraded with domestic avionics and missile systems.
Meanwhile, alongside the F-14 footage, the IAF released additional videos from the same operation, including one showing an airstrike targeting Iranian forces reportedly preparing to launch drones toward Israel.
חיל-האוויר תקף וסיכל ניסיון שיגור כטב״מים לעבר מדינת ישראל.
בימים האחרונים, כלי טיס של חיל-האוויר עקבו אחרי חוליית השיגור, זיהו את המשגרים פורסים את משגרי הכטב״מים ואמצעי הלחימה בשטח.
בסגירת מעגל מהירה, חוליית השיגור חוסלה והמשגרים הושמדו לפני שהספיקו לשגר לעבר שטח מדינת ישראל. pic.twitter.com/tIumaPM8UQ— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 16, 2025
