Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force F-5E Destroyed

On March 1, 2026, alongside an F-4 Phantom, an F-5E Tiger II was destroyed on the runway at Tabriz airport in western Iran during an Israeli airstrike. The IDF confirmed both aircraft were preparing for takeoff when struck. The strike was part of Israel's broader campaign to neutralize the Iranian Air Force's capacity to mount sorties against coalition aircraft. Iran's F-5E fleet, numbering around 44 aircraft, has been locally maintained and upgraded since the original American deliveries in the 1970s.