Commercial satellite images captured by Vantor and analyzed by the US military specialized publication War Zone on march 11 show damage at Tactical Fighter Base number 8 in Isfahan province, central Iran, after attacks carried out by Israel.

The images show a heavy F-14 fighter jet, located on the alert pad, completely destroyed, while a nearby parking spot also exhibits extensive scorch marks. The fate of an aircraft parked outside a hangar near the alert pad remains unclear, as it does not appear in post-attack satellite imagery and shows no signs of explosion or fire.

An F-14 fighter jet (red circle) in images of the Iranian airbase in Isfahan province on february 22 and march 9. Photo: Vantor

Images from march 9 also show at least 10 other aircraft destroyed along the taxiway. Vantor suggests these are F-7 fighter jets, the export version of the J-7 series manufactured by China.

Three of four adjacent hardened aircraft shelters have holes in their roofs. A structure next to these hangars was completely destroyed, having been damaged in a previous conflict.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on march 8 that it had destroyed several F-14 fighter jets in an attack on the airport in Isfahan province, but did not provide evidence.

The F-14 is a heavy fighter jet manufactured by the US, commissioned in 1974 and first saw combat in 1981. Iran ordered 80 F-14 fighter jets from the US during a period of close bilateral relations and received a total of 79 aircraft before the Islamic Revolution took place in 1979.

Iran is currently the only nation still operating the F-14 combat aircraft, after the US Navy retired the aircraft type in 2006.

A row of aircraft hangars at the Iranian airbase in Isfahan province on february 22 (left) and march 9. Photo: Vantor

Tactical Fighter Base number 8 in Isfahan is believed to be the home of Iran's entire F-14 fleet, and was previously targeted by Israel in a 12-day conflict in june 2025.

It is unclear how many F-14 aircraft Iran still has in service, but the aviation specialized publication Aviationist estimates that Tehran has no more than 30 aircraft in operational condition. Images from february 22 show at least 5 F-14 aircraft at Tactical Fighter Base number 8, but it is not known if they have been decommissioned.

According to Aviationist, some aircraft have been upgraded to the F-14AM standard with Iran's indigenous avionics systems, including radar and a radar warning receiver, and can carry Russian-made weapons such as R-73E short-range air-to-air missiles.

Iran also claims to have integrated domestically produced equipment into the F-14 series, for example, the Fakour-90 air-to-air missile, developed based on US-made AIM-54 Phoenix and MIM-23 Hawk munitions.

The Middle East has been embroiled in conflict since the US and Israel launched an airstrike campaign against Iran on february 28. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) subsequently retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Israel and US bases in Arab countries in the region.

Pham Giang (According to War Zone, Aviationist)