12-day war: Israeli F-15 suffered fuel tank issue while approaching Tehran; nearly aborted mission, report says

Israeli F-15 jets during the recent war with Iran (Israel Defense Forces)

An F-15 fighter jet of the Israel Air Force reportedly suffered a fuel tank malfunction which almost forced it to stage an emergency landing, while approaching Tehran during the 12-day war with Iran last month .The F-15 pilot first noticed the issue already deep inside Iran’s borders, the Channel 12 report stated, adding that the necessary personnel were alerted about the problem in real-time.As no aerial refuelling aircraft was available to the fighter jets on the mission, a plan was devised to dispatch one to resolve the issue.Also Read | Caught on camera: Israeli fighter jet refuels mid-air over Syria; likely on way back after Iran strikeUnder an alternative plan, which would have been followed in case the refuelling aircraft failed to reach the malfunctioning F-15, the jet was to cross the border and make an emergency landing in a “neighbouring country”, to avoid the risk involved in landing inside the Islamic Republic.However, the report did not identify the neighbouring country.Ultimately, the refuelling craft made it in time and resolved the issue, and the F-15 was not required to pull out of the mission.The mission, too, was carried out successfully, without any additional issues.Did Israel estimate loss of jets within the first three days? The report further claimed that prior to the start of Israel’s surprise June 13 attack, which launched the war with Iran, Israeli Air Force commander Tomer Bar had presented an estimate in “internal forums” that 10 Israeli planes could be downed within the first 72 hours of the conflict.Also Read | Nasrallah-style operation: Israel plotted to kill Iran’s President Pezeshkian? Report claims secret planBar’s estimate was proven wrong, however, and no Israeli planes were downed throughout the war, despite Iranian state media claiming at one point that the country’s forces shot down two Israeli fighter jets and captured a pilot.The report was dismissed by the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Colonel Avichay Adraee, as “fake” and “completely baseless.”