Yeah it is, maybe reverse engineered?
There is a chance it is, or that it's just an engine being tested after undergoing some repairs.
Anyway the J79 engine isnt actually a bad option for a heavy fighter, especially if Iran manages to upgrade it into a turbofan engine.
The J79-GE-17 which is installed on the F4E has about 53 kN of dry thrust and 80 kN wet.
There is the CJ805-23B which is a variant of the J79, converted into a turbofan engine. It's not an engine designed for a fighter aircraft, is shorter and wider than the J79-GE-17, and doesn't have an after burner, but its dry thrust has been increased to 71.6 kN.
If Iran manages to upgrade the J79 to a turbofan while still maintaining the same size, then the new turbofan engine will actually be an excellent choice for a heavy fighter, because then the engine's wet and dry thrusts will be increased, its specific fuel consumption will be halved, and it will increase the maximum altitude the engine can be operated at.
So using the J79 engine is possible, but it needs some work, but Iran is at the technological level to do such things, especially that we have seen the Jahesh 700 engine now. We should also expect an RD 33 engine as well for a medium weight fighter jet.
And for the light weight category, the best platform is the Kowsar aircraft, but with the turbofan version of Owj.
