The Israeli military said Sunday its air force successfully struck multiple Iranian fighter jets at Dezful Airbase in western Iran, including two F-5s and three F-14 Tomcats — aircraft that date back to Iran’s pre-1979 arsenal.
The strikes come amid heightened regional tensions and continued Israeli efforts to neutralize threats before they materialize.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its fighter aircraft targeted two Iranian F-5 jets while they were on the ground at Dezful. The IDF released black-and-white footage showing one of the jets being destroyed.
“The forces destroyed one of the aircraft at the airport,” the IDF said.
The aging F-5 jets are part of Iran’s legacy air fleet, originally acquired during the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and still in use despite decades of sanctions and limited parts availability.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israeli aircraft also destroyed three Iranian F-14 Tomcats.
The F-14s, which were originally supplied to Iran by the United States before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, remain among the rarest operational fighter jets in the world. U.S. forces retired the type in 2006, and Iran is believed to be the only country still flying them. Their continued use relies heavily on reverse engineering and cannibalization of spare parts from grounded aircraft.
Last week, Israeli strikes in Tehran reportedly destroyed two more Iranian F-14s, further reducing the inventory of operational Tomcats in the Islamic Republic.
In addition to targeting aircraft, the IDF said it destroyed eight missile launchers during the operation, including six that were loaded and ready to fire toward Israeli territory.
The Israeli Air Force has maintained an active tempo of operations against Iranian assets across the region, often targeting weapons shipments, airbases, and missile platforms.
The IDF emphasized that the strikes were aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities and preventing future attacks on Israeli soil.
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