THE $2 BILLION MISTAKE: How America Sold Iran Its Best Fighter

Why does Iran fly American F-14 Tomcats? In 1974, the Shah of Iran signed the largest US arms deal of its time — 80 F-14 fighter jets, hundreds of Phoenix missiles, and a $2 billion check that saved the Grumman company from collapse. It was called Project Persian King. Five years later, revolution turned America's best customer into its worst enemy — and the jets stayed in Iran. In 2006, the US Navy retired the Tomcat. In 2007, the Pentagon did the unthinkable: it fed its own legendary fighter jets into an industrial shredder, spending nearly a million dollars to shred them — just to keep spare parts away from Iran. In June 2025, Israeli drones destroyed Iranian F-14s on the tarmac in Tehran, and the Shah's 50-year-old deal made headlines again. This documentary tells the full true story: Nixon's 1972 "blank check" in Tehran, the rigged 1973 F-14 vs F-15 fly-off at Andrews Air Force Base, the $2 billion signature that saved the Grumman company, the golden years of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, the 1979 revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and ace Jalil Zandi — credited as the deadliest F-14 pilot who ever lived. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Burning Jet — Tehran, June 2025 02:45 The Blank Check — Nixon in Tehran, 1972 06:20 The Foxbat — Soviet spies over Iran 09:30 The Rigged Contest — F-14 vs F-15 fly-off, 1973 13:40 Project Persian King — the $2 billion signature 17:10 New Car Smell — delivery across the world 20:00 The Golden Air Force — policeman of the Gulf 22:30 The Night Everything Stopped — revolution, 1979 24:40 The War of the Tomcats — Jalil Zandi's eight years 28:30 The Shredder — America destroys its own legend 30:00 The Last Tomcats on Earth