{"id":2089721,"date":"2026-06-15T14:16:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/iran-f-14-tomcat-50-years-combat-isfahan-strikes-maverick-act-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:36:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:36:58","slug":"iran-f-14-tomcat-50-years-combat-isfahan-strikes-maverick-act-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/iran-f-14-tomcat-50-years-combat-isfahan-strikes-maverick-act-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran&#8217;s F-14 Tomcats Turn 50 \u2014 And They&#8217;re Flying Combat Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n<p>Half a century ago, the Shah of Iran bought 80 American <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-14-tomcat\">F-14A<\/a> Tomcats and 633 AIM-54 Phoenix long-range missiles for $2 billion. It was the most advanced fighter deal the United States had ever made with a foreign country.<\/p><p>Then came the revolution, the hostage crisis, the embargo, and four decades of sanctions. Washington assumed the Tomcats would rot without American spare parts. Iran had other plans.<\/p><p>In June 2026, Iranian F-14s are flying combat missions \u2014 the first confirmed Tomcat combat sorties since the Iran-Iraq War.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-radius:8px;padding:20px 24px;margin:18px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#333\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;color:#444;line-height:1.8\"><li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Grumman F-14A Tomcat<\/li><li><strong>Delivered to Iran:<\/strong> 1976&ndash;1979 (79 aircraft)<\/li><li><strong>Iran&ndash;Iraq War claims:<\/strong> ~130 kills vs 4 losses<\/li><li><strong>Current status:<\/strong> Estimated 40&ndash;50 airframes, unknown operational count<\/li><li><strong>Key weapon:<\/strong> AIM-54 Phoenix long-range missile<\/li><li><strong>Notable feat:<\/strong> One Phoenix destroyed 3 MiGs in a single shot<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Shah's Trophy Fighter<\/h2><p>Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi wanted the F-14 for a specific reason: Soviet <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-25-foxbat\">MiG-25<\/a> Foxbats were making reconnaissance flights over Iranian airspace, and only the Tomcat's AWG-9 radar and Phoenix missile could engage targets at the ranges needed. Deliveries began in 1976. By the time the Islamic Revolution swept through in January 1979, 79 of the 80 aircraft had arrived. The 80th was held back by the U.S. and never shipped.<\/p><p>When the embassy fell and the hostages were taken, Washington cut everything \u2014 parts, technical support, munitions, training. American advisors left overnight. The conventional wisdom was that Iran's Tomcats would be grounded within months.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/bVVf3WMXWRE\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:none\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Forty-Seven Years Without a Phone Call to Grumman<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-opt-id=1926593294  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/iranian-f-14-tomcat-aim-54-phoenix-missile-pair.jpg\" alt=\"Two Iranian F-14 Tomcats carrying AIM-54 Phoenix missiles\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Iranian F-14s carrying AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. When the original Phoenixes expired, Iran reverse-engineered them into the domestically produced Fakour-90.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Iran's response to the embargo was remarkable. The IRIAF built an indigenous industrial base, reverse-engineering components and making over 300 modifications to the F-14's design \u2014 replacing the radar, avionics, and electronic warfare systems with domestically produced alternatives. When the original AIM-54 Phoenix missiles expired, Iranian engineers developed the <strong>Fakour-90<\/strong>: a domestically produced long-range missile with a 150 km range and Mach 5 speed, based on the Phoenix and MIM-23 Hawk.<\/p><p>Before the 2026 strikes, estimates put the operational fleet at roughly 20-25 aircraft out of approximately 40-45 surviving airframes. Not bad for a fighter that Washington assumed would be a hangar ornament by 1980.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Isfahan, March 7, 2026<\/h2><p>When the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February-March 2026, Israeli aircraft hit Isfahan's 8th Tactical Fighter Base on March 7. Satellite imagery from the following day showed extensive cratering across the base's taxiways. Open-source analysts confirmed <strong>at least eight destroyed F-14s<\/strong> on the airfield, along with other aircraft.<\/p><p>Israel claimed complete destruction of Iran's F-14 fleet. The claim was premature.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/mq-1c-gray-eagle-army-drone-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"flex-shrink:0\"><img data-opt-id=232140915  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/mq-1c-gray-eagle-army-drone-1.jpg\" alt=\"IRIAF pilot (anonymous)\" style=\"width:96px;height:96px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;object-position:center;display:block;border:2px solid #ddd\"><\/a><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Tomcat Flies Combat Again<\/h2><p>On June 10, 2026, footage emerged showing Iranian F-14 Tomcats <strong>landing after completing combat missions<\/strong>. While Iran's <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-4-phantom-ii\">F-4s<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/northrop-f-5\">F-5s<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-29-fulcrum\">MiG-29As<\/a>, and Yak-130s had all been seen flying sorties during the conflict, this was the first confirmation that Tomcats had survived the strikes and were operational \u2014 and the first confirmed F-14 combat since the Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988.<\/p><p>How many survived is unclear. But enough remained \u2014 either dispersed before the strikes or sheltered in hardened facilities \u2014 to return to the fight. Thirty-eight years after their last combat, Iran's Tomcats were at war again.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Meanwhile, in Washington<\/h2><p>In a twist that borders on surreal, the U.S. Congress passed the <strong>Maverick Act<\/strong> in April 2026 \u2014 legislation authorizing the transfer of three retired Tomcats from storage at Davis-Monthan AFB for preservation. For nearly 20 years, the U.S. had been <em>destroying<\/em> retired Tomcats specifically to deny Iran access to parts. The 2026 strikes on Iran's fleet eased these security concerns enough for Congress to save the last three.<\/p><p>There's your irony: America is preserving Tomcats in museums at the same moment Iran is flying them in combat.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Forgotten Ace<\/h2><p>The greatest F-14 pilot in history was not American. <strong>Jalil Zandi<\/strong> (1951-2001) of the IRIAF scored 11 aerial victories during the Iran-Iraq War \u2014 four <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-23-flogger\">MiG-23s<\/a>, two Su-22s, two <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-21-fishbed\">MiG-21s<\/a>, and three <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/dassault-mirage-f1\">Mirage F1s<\/a>. In one engagement, an Iranian F-14 reportedly destroyed three Iraqi MiGs with a single Phoenix missile.<\/p><p>Fifty years after the Shah signed the contract, his Tomcats are still flying, still fighting, and still refusing to die. The F-14 was built to last 6,000 flight hours. Iran has made it last half a century through sheer engineering stubbornness and a refusal to accept that an American embargo could ground an American fighter.<\/p><p>Grumman should be quietly proud.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/kJjvO4fVFEw\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:none\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<p style=\"font-style:italic;color:#777;font-size:14px;margin-top:32px\">Sources: The Aviation Geek Club, National Security Journal, 19FortyFive, Wikipedia (F-14 operational history), Kaveh Farrokh<\/p>\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Does Iran still fly the F-14 Tomcat?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Yes. Iran is the only country still flying the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in combat service. It received 79 of the fighters in the 1970s under the Shah, and an estimated 40\u201350 airframes remain, some still flying nearly 50 years later.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How did Iran get F-14 Tomcats?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The United States sold 79 F-14A Tomcats to Iran between 1976 and 1979, while it was a close U.S. ally under the Shah. After the 1979 revolution Iran kept the jets, becoming the only F-14 operator besides the U.S. Navy.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How did Iran's F-14s perform in the Iran-Iraq War?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Very effectively. Iranian F-14s are credited with roughly 130 aerial victories for only about 4 losses during the 1980s Iran\u2013Iraq War, using their powerful radar and long-range missiles to dominate Iraqi aircraft.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the AIM-54 Phoenix missile?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The AIM-54 Phoenix is the F-14's long-range air-to-air missile, able to engage targets from great distances. Iranian Tomcats used it to devastating effect \u2014 in one famous instance a single Phoenix shot reportedly destroyed three Iraqi MiGs at once.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why did the Shah want the F-14?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Soviet MiG-25 Foxbats were flying high-speed reconnaissance over Iran that nothing in its arsenal could catch. The Shah bought the F-14 specifically because its powerful radar and long-range Phoenix missile could intercept those high, fast intruders.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does Iran still fly the F-14 Tomcat?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. Iran is the only country still flying the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in combat service. It received 79 of the fighters in the 1970s under the Shah, and an estimated 40\u201350 airframes remain, some still flying nearly 50 years later.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How did Iran get F-14 Tomcats?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The United States sold 79 F-14A Tomcats to Iran between 1976 and 1979, while it was a close U.S. ally under the Shah. After the 1979 revolution Iran kept the jets, becoming the only F-14 operator besides the U.S. Navy.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How did Iran's F-14s perform in the Iran-Iraq War?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Very effectively. Iranian F-14s are credited with roughly 130 aerial victories for only about 4 losses during the 1980s Iran\u2013Iraq War, using their powerful radar and long-range missiles to dominate Iraqi aircraft.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the AIM-54 Phoenix missile?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The AIM-54 Phoenix is the F-14's long-range air-to-air missile, able to engage targets from great distances. Iranian Tomcats used it to devastating effect \u2014 in one famous instance a single Phoenix shot reportedly destroyed three Iraqi MiGs at once.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did the Shah want the F-14?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Soviet MiG-25 Foxbats were flying high-speed reconnaissance over Iran that nothing in its arsenal could catch. The Shah bought the F-14 specifically because its powerful radar and long-range Phoenix missile could intercept those high, fast intruders.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->\n\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\">Operation Mole Cricket 19<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Half a century after the Shah bought 80 F-14 Tomcats, Iranian Tomcats are flying combat missions again \u2014 the first since the Iran-Iraq War. Israel claimed total destruction at Isfahan. The footage says otherwise.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":2134511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2089721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iran&#039;s F-14 Tomcats Turn 50 \u2014 And They&#039;re Flying Combat Again | Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Iran F-14 Tomcats turn 50 and are flying combat again after surviving Israeli strikes at Isfahan. 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