Iran is currently the only nation still flying F-14 Tomcats, having acquired 79 in the 1970s. Iran also flies other old U.S. fighters like the F-4 and F-5E.
Utilized during the Cold War, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a reliable and highly effective defense fighter jet. Thanks to its weapons systems and variable-sweep wing design, the two-engine Tomcat had an unbeatable mix of speed and power, making it one of the most versatile planes in the U.S. Navy. But as of this writing, the F-14 is only being used for active operations by Iran.
Iran acquired its Tomcat fleet in the 1970s, after the United States sold 79 of them to then-Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Though the two countries were allies against the Soviet Union at the time, everything changed when Pahlavi was overthrown in 1979. The new Islamic Republic took possession of the F-14s and continued flying them through the years, even after being sanctioned by the U.S. Today, the Iranian Tomcats survive thanks to parts obtained on the black market, making them something of an outdated relic when compared to newer fighters.
