New satellite imagery of an Iranian airfield shows two US-made F-14 fighter jets — one of which looks to be totally destroyed — after they were hit by Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week.
The image, captured on Friday by US commercial satellite imaging company Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider, shows the two F-14s at a facility at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran.
One of the F-14s appears to have taken a hit near the nose, although the full extent of the damage is unclear. However, the other jet directly next to it was reduced to a burned wreck.
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said on Monday that an IDF drone struck two Iranian F-14s, marking “another loss of strategic weaponry for the enemy.” The military published footage showing a direct hit on each aircraft.
The F-14 Tomcat is a multi-role fighter jet made by the US aerospace corporation formerly known as Grumman Aerospace Corporation, now Northrop Grumman. Designed to be launched from aircraft carriers, the plane was introduced by the US Navy in the 1970s and participated in combat missions around the world over the next few decades.
The Navy stopped flying the F-14 in 2006, after replacing it with the F/A-18 Super Hornet made by US defense manufacturer Boeing. However, the F-14 has remained a celebrated aircraft, in part because of its spotlight in the “Top Gun” blockbusters.
The US sold nearly 80 F-14s to Iran, once an American partner, before the 1979 Iranian Revolution ended relations between the two countries. Washington cut support and supplies of spare parts for the Tomcats, and Tehran’s inventory slowly declined over time as maintenance and logistical challenges mounted. Iran still has its jets, though, and is the only remaining operator.
Iran’s F-14s, like much of its air force, are relatively obsolete due to international sanctions and embargoes that prevent the country from modernizing its fleet. Tehran also operates other aging aircraft, including Soviet-era Su-24s and MiG-29s and US-made F-5s.
The limitations of its airpower have forced Iran to rely on building a large arsenal of ballistic missiles and attack drones. Tehran was said to have purchased newer Su-35 aircraft from Russia, although it’s unclear if any have been delivered.
Israel has struck additional aircraft beyond the two F-14s, including at least one aerial refueling tanker and eight attack helicopters, since beginning a new operation last Friday aimed at degrading Iran’s nuclear program, a longtime goal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Over the past week, Israeli fighter jets have carried out widespread airstrikes across Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, top scientists, senior commanders, missile launchers, air defenses, and other high-profile military infrastructure. The Iranians have responded by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is weighing whether to use US assets to strike Iran’s most hardened nuclear sites. Iran has said that it will retaliate if American forces intervene in the conflict.
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