The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed having attacked and destroyed F-14 Tomcat fighters belonging to the Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) during a bombing raid against facilities at Isfahan Airport, in the center of the country. The action was part of a series of attacks carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) against infrastructure linked to key Iranian military targets as part of Operation Roaring Lion.
According to the official statement released by the IDF, the attacks were carried out by Israeli combat aircraft “directed by Military Intelligence” against infrastructure where F-14 fighters of the Iranian regime were stored at the 8th Fighter Base in Isfahan, in central Iran. During the operation, detection and air defense systems that posed a threat to Israeli aircraft were also targeted.
Israeli authorities also indicated that this action adds to a previous strike carried out against Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, where 16 aircraft reportedly used by the Quds Force unit were destroyed, as part of efforts to weaken the air and logistical capabilities linked to Iran’s military apparatus.
The Iranian F-14 Tomcats, acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, continue to be one of the most unique platforms in the country’s combat aviation and remain, to this day, the last operational F-14s in the world. With an initial order of 80 aircraft, despite their age Iran has maintained a limited fleet in service through local maintenance and modernization programs, employing them mainly in air defense roles.
It should be noted that this is not the first episode of this kind. In June 2025, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) had already destroyed several Iranian F-14 Tomcat fighters on the ground during strikes against the country’s air facilities, in an operation that also aimed to degrade Iran’s combat aviation capabilities. At the time, reports and subsequent images indicated that the aircraft were hit while parked on the ground, apparently being out-of-service examples that had been left exposed for years at Mehrabad Air Base.
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*Cover image used for illustrative purposes*Translated by Constanza Matteo
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