Images emerging from ongoing conflicts within Iran reveal a surprising element in the country’s air force: American-made fighter jets. Footage and photographs show F-14 Tomcats, F-5 Tigers, and F-4 Phantom IIs still in service, decades after these aircraft were retired by the United States military.
The presence of these aircraft is particularly notable given the decades of political opposition between Iran and the U.S. The F-4 Phantom II, a workhorse of the Vietnam War, remains operational, while the F-14 Tomcat, famously featured in the film “Top Gun,” was phased out of U.S. Service in 2006, having been in continuous use since the latter years of the Vietnam War.
Iran initially acquired these aircraft before the 1979 revolution. According to reports, Iran was able to purchase surplus F-14 parts until 2007, when U.S. Lawmakers prohibited the sale of technology considered sensitive. The United States subsequently made efforts to destroy remaining parts to prevent them from reaching Iran. Since then, maintaining the fleet has relied heavily on smuggling and the black market.
As of 2025, Global Security, a defense-related think tank, estimated that Iran possessed as many as 43 F-14 Tomcats and 60 F-4 Phantom IIs. The extent of any losses sustained by these aircraft during current hostilities remains unknown. The high profile of these aircraft also makes them potential targets for Israeli and American military actions.
The continued operation of these aging aircraft raises questions about their airworthiness and the logistical challenges of maintaining them without consistent access to original parts, and support. Concrete information regarding the current operational status of the fleet is scarce.
