Israel Destroys Iran’s First Combat-Ready Fighter Jet

For the first time, Israel has destroyed an active Iranian combat aircraft. An F-5 fighter jet was struck while preparing for a combat mission.

Footage of the strike was released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) press service.

Israeli air forces carried out strikes on Dezful Airport in the southwestern part of Iran and reported the destruction of two Iranian F-5 fighter jets.

The released footage confirms the destruction of at least one aircraft. This marks the first loss of an operational unit of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force — the jet was on standby in a state of heightened combat readiness.

Short-range air-to-air missiles, resembling AIM-9s or their local equivalents, were already mounted on the external wing pylons. The aircraft was also connected to a ground power unit cable, indicating pre-flight preparations.

As of 2025, the fleet of this aircraft type in the Iranian Air Force is estimated to consist of between 30 and 60 combat-ready units. These jets serve a support role in patrol and air defense missions where deploying the more powerful F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat would be not rational.

Recently, Business Insider journalists released satellite images of Dezful Airport dated June 17, confirming the deployment of a line of F-5s on combat alert.

Two aircraft are connected to ground equipment for pre-flight preparations, while another two are positioned on the runway. Another pair of jets is most likely non-operational and stored in an improvised holding area.

As a reminder, the Israel Air Force has previously struck Iranian F-14 fighter jet parking areas at air bases in Tehran and Isfahan at least twice, destroying a total of five aircraft.

However, these jets were non-operational and had been stationary for years, as confirmed by satellite intelligence. This is not surprising, since after the Islamic Revolution, Iran lost access to spare parts and technical support — the fleet of operational American fighters has significantly dwindled over nearly 50 years.

It is known that until the 2010s, the Iranian military carried out several upgrades and maintained around 15–20 F-14s in service. Between 2022 and 2024, a few F-14s were still spotted in the air, but there were also reports of crashes.

Nevertheless, by the end of the first week of the Israeli air operation, no significant losses of Iranian aviation had been recorded, aside from the strikes on the aforementioned F-5 jets. This may be explained by Iran’s preemptive relocation of all operational aircraft to underground shelters and bases in the eastern part of the country.