Overview
- The IDF said it hit F-14 Tomcats at Isfahan’s 8th Tactical Fighter Base and targeted detection and air-defense systems that threatened Israeli aircraft.
- Israel’s military did not provide a precise tally of destroyed F-14s, and open reporting has not independently verified exact numbers.
- The operation is part of a broader campaign that the IDF says has struck more than 400 sites across Iran, including ammunition bunkers, air-defense assets and IRGC-linked infrastructure.
- Israeli statements also cite earlier strikes that destroyed 16 aircraft at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and a facility tied to Iran’s space and satellite program, including Khayyam operations.
- Isfahan is widely assessed to host most of Iran’s remaining F-14s, making the reported losses significant for the IRIAF’s aging fleet of U.S.-supplied Tomcats from the 1970s.