F-35s to Iran?

The controversial nuclear deal with Iran has raised hopes in the west of new business opportunities in that nation. But the notion of Tehran getting access to state-of-the-art western fighter jets remains an absurd one. Then again, you never know.

Thirty-eight years ago, the idea that the leader of Vietnam’s communist party would visit the White House and herald his nation’s purchase of state-of-the art widebody passenger jets from Boeing, as happened last week, would have been an equally absurd notion. But in 1977, Aviation Week published a two-page photo spread of Grumman F-14s being displayed in a flyby for the Shah of Iran, Riza Pahlavi. “The 80 F-14s on order by Iran currently are being delivered at the rate of two per month,” we noted.

Little did the U.S. realize that within two years the Shah would be driven from Iran, those F-14s would be in the hands of radically anti-American Mullahs, and Ayatollah Khomeini’s followers would occupy the U.S. Embassy and hold most of its occupants hostage for 444 days. The inability to see that the Shah’s grip on power was tenuous was an embarrassing failure for the CIA.

So could U.S.-Iranian relations rebound as quickly as they fell apart now that a deal to limit Tehran’s nuclear capabilities has been reached? That’s a fanciful notion. But a lot can change over decades. 

► Aviation Week is approaching its 100th anniversary in 2016. In a series of blogs, our editors highlight content from the magazine's long and rich history, including viewpoints from the industry's most iconic names and stories that have helped change the shape of the industry.