Indeed, Iran got their F14s during the Shah era. But what is fascinating is how Islamic Iran managed to keep these planes flying, including through an 8 years

Indeed, Iran got their F14s during the Shah era. But what is fascinating is how Islamic Iran managed to keep these planes flying, including through an 8 years long war, despite the embargo and the lack of parts. Through back-channel deals with Israel or even the US (Iran-Contra deal) or good old smuggling exploiting mismanaged military surplus handling in US, plus domestic reverse engineering & production, the Iranians were incredibly resourceful in getting parts for these birds. In comparison, finding parts for civilian planes is a piece of cake.