Iran remains the only country in the world still flying the iconic F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, more than four decades after the United States retired the aircraft, according to a special report. Despite decades of Western sanctions and severe challenges in obtaining spare parts, Tehran has managed to keep a number of these Cold War-era warplanes in the air by producing some components domestically and adopting innovative maintenance strategies.

Experts say the exact number of F-14s still operational in Iran is uncertain, but their presence in the Persian Gulf region poses little to no threat to modern U.S. forces, largely due to outdated avionics and weaponry.

The U.S. originally supplied Iran with 79 Tomcats in the 1970s when the countries were close allies, but relations deteriorated after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Today, the aircraft serves as a symbol of resilience in Iran’s ageing air fleet, even as global air forces have moved on to advanced fighters.