The Israeli Air Force struck F-14 Tomcat fighters at the 8th Tactical Fighter Base in Isfahan on March 7, destroying what are believed to be the last operational F-14s anywhere in the world.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the strikes as part of Operation Roaring Lion. The attack targeted compounds storing F-14 fighters belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force along with detection and air defense systems that threatened Israeli aircraft operating over Iranian territory, the IDF stated.
צה”ל תקף מטוסי קרב מסוג ’14-F’ בשדה תעופה באיספהאן
בגל תקיפה נרחב של חיל האוויר בהכוונת אמ”ן, הותקפו אתמול מתחמים בהם אוחסנו מטוסי קרב מסוג ׳F-14’ של משטר הטרור האיראני בשדה התעופה שבאיספהאן.
כמו כן, הותקפו מערכות גילוי והגנה שאיימו על מטוסי חיל האוויר.
תקיפה זו מצטרפת להשמדתם…
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 8, 2026
The base in central Iran is home to three tactical fighter squadrons and is believed to house all remaining Iranian F-14s. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War showed approximately ten impact points and extensive cratering on the base’s taxiway following the strike.
The IDF stated the operation adds to strikes conducted two days earlier against Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, where Israeli forces destroyed 16 aircraft reportedly used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. Both actions are part of a broader effort to expand Israeli air superiority over Iran, the military said.
Iran operates the only remaining F-14 fleet in the world. The U.S. Navy retired the type in 2006. Iran received 79 F-14As beginning in February 1976 under the Shah’s government, with the aircraft passing to the current air force after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Despite decades of embargo, Iran maintained a limited fleet through domestic modifications. According to The Aviationist, some aircraft were upgraded to F-14AM standard, a modernized variant fitted with Iranian-made avionics and weapons including the Fakour-90 air-to-air missile based on the AIM-54 Phoenix.
This is not the first Israeli strike against Iranian Tomcats. In June 2025, the IDF released footage showing two F-14s destroyed by a drone strike at Mehrabad Airport, though those airframes had been non-operational for years.
