Archive · 15 Jan 2026
Iran Maintains Legacy F-14 Fighter Jets
A long time ago, the United States sold Iran 79 special fighter jets called F-14s.
These jets were very powerful and had special weapons.
After some time, the relationship between the two countries became bad.
Iran had a hard time keeping the jets in good condition because they couldn't get parts from the US.
So, they took parts from some jets to fix others and even tried to make some parts themselves.
Now, Iran has a few of these jets left, but they are not as strong as they used to be.
They have been used in battles before, like when they shot down two other fighter jets in 1989.
But experts say they are not a big threat to the US anymore.
The US sold Iran 79 F-14 fighter jets in the 1970s.
Iran struggles to maintain its F-14 fleet due to lack of US parts.
Iran uses cannibalization and local manufacturing to keep jets flying.
F-14s in Iran's arsenal pose no significant threat to American forces.
F-14s have seen combat, including shooting down two MiG-23 jets in 1989.
- Who
- Iran and the United States
- What
- Iran's maintenance of its F-14 fighter jets
- When
- 1970s to present
- Where
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Why
- To maintain a capable air defense despite limited resources and international sanctions
- F-14s Sold to Iran
- 79
- F-14's Primary Role
- Protect carrier strike groups from strategic bombers
- Notable Combat Achievement
- Shot down two MiG-23 jets in 1989
- Current Threat Level
- No significant threat to American forces
- Maintenance Strategy
- Cannibalization and local reverse engineering