Posted on 07/12/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
During Operation Rising Lion, a dramatic mid-air emergency unfolded above Tehran. An Israeli F-15 fighter jet en route to a strike mission in the Iranian capital region experienced a serious malfunction in its secondary fuel tank, Channel 12 reported.
The issue prevented the aircraft from drawing fuel at a crucial phase of its mission — deep inside hostile airspace — leading to a dangerous fuel shortage that risked the jet being lost or forced into an emergency landing.
Unlike previous missions, this sortie had not included plans for in-air refueling. But given the crisis, the Israeli Air Force made a rare, split-second decision to dispatch a refueling aircraft mid-operation. The tanker met the fighter jet over Iranian territory, where, under extreme tension and precise coordination, an in-flight refueling was successfully completed.
Thanks to this intervention, the fighter was able to continue its mission without deviation, while contingency plans — including a potential emergency landing in a third country to avoid capture — were simultaneously prepared.
Behind the scenes, it was revealed that Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar had warned of potential heavy losses, estimating up to ten Israeli aircraft could be damaged in the operation’s first 72 hours. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario never came to pass.