When the navy demonstrated its F-14, the pilot put on an even better show: he did a roll, circled around, and made a loop right over the shah’s head. After the performance, the shah said to Currie, “You know, I’ve always viewed Iran as kind of an island in the middle of an ocean.” Currie marveled at the shah’s nonsensical statement. The F-14 was a fighter built for aircraft carriers, something that Iran did not possess. It was more expensive and had a shorter range than the F-15, but it was clear the Iranian leader’s mind was made up. Iran became the only foreign country to ever buy the F-14,
...more
