Latest news with #F-15IRa'am
Egypt Today
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Israel says targeted ‘dozens' of military targets in Iran as tensions escalate amid US strikes
FILE - An Israeli air force F-15I Ra'am taxis down the runway during Blue Flag 2019 at Uvda Air Base, Israel, November 4, 2019 - CC/Defense Visual Information Distribution Service CAIRO – 22 June 2025: The Israeli army announced targeting 'dozens of military targets' across Iran using around 30 fighter jets carrying more than 60 munitions. The strikes come after the US announced on Sunday 'obliterating' key Iranian nuclear facilities, joining a fierce war between Israel and Iran that started on 13 June and led to fatalities in both countries. As part of today's strikes, the Israeli army claimed that it killed Iranian Armed Forces soldiers while allegedly loading missile launchers. Moreover, they said they targeted a missile storage facility in Yazd area alongside missile launchers in Esfahan, Bushehr and Ahvaz and other military sites. The Israeli army vowed to continue strikes 'in any area' within Iranian territory to eliminate threats posed to Israel. Meanwhile, at least 86 Israelis have been injured by Iranian missile strikes on various areas in Israel earlier on Sunday, according to Israeli reports. The Times of Israel reported a ballistic missile strike on the northern Israeli city of Haifa although no sirens sounded. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced conducting the 20th wave of attacks on Israel since Tel Aviv announced hitting Iranian nuclear sites and assassinating top military officials and senior scientists over a week ago. In a statement reported by the Iranian semi-official news agency Tasnim, the IRGC said it launched 40 ballistic missiles on Israel in their latest attack within the Operation True Promise III. The IRGC announced targeting Israel with multiwarhead Kheibarshekan ballistic missiles for the first time. They noted that modern and surprising tactics were employed to increase the missiles' accuracy and effectiveness. Among the targets of Sunday's missile attack, the IRGC says, were Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, the Israeli biological research center, and replacement command-and-control centers. The IRGC stated on Sunday that the Iranian Armed Forces have not yet unleashed the capacities of their main sections. Attacks between both countries intensified on Sunday as US President Donald Trump announced today a 'very successful' attack on Iran's nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan, claiming that key enrichment facilities there were 'totally and completely obliterated.' .@VP: "We destroyed the Iranian nuclear program ... and we did it without endangering the lives of American pilots. That's an incredible thing." — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 22, 2025 Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine revealed in a briefing at the Pentagon that the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities included seven B-2 Spirit bombers, saying it was the 'largest B-2 operational strike in US history.' While Tehran says it reserves all options to defend Iranian sovereignty, interest, and people, Trump warned Iran that any retaliation 'will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.' Tel Aviv initiated the war with Iran when it bombed nuclear and military sites in Iran and assassinated key military officials and senior nuclear scientists on June 13. Tehran has accused the US, which reportedly helped Israel intercept missiles fired from Iran, of supporting Israeli military strikes on nuclear sites. Today, Tehran accused the US of 'betraying diplomacy' and launching a 'dangerous war' against Iran, saying the attack exposes 'Washington's criminal complicity with the Zionist regime in orchestrating and waging a war against Iran.'
Business Insider
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Photos show Israel's F-15I Ra'am 'Thunder' fighter jets used in strikes against Iran's nuclear program
The Israeli Air Force is using F-15I Ra'am fighter jets to target Iran's nuclear program. The Israeli variant of Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle planes can fly up to 2,765 miles without refueling. The State Department approved the sale of 50 new F-15I planes to Israel in August 2024. Israel's fleet of F-15I warplanes, a modified version of the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, can fly long distances while carrying thousands of pounds of weapons. Israel has used F-15I planes in strikes against Iran's nuclear program, which Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called an "existential threat." The planes are part of the Israeli Air Force 's fleet of advanced fighter jets acquired from the US and enhanced with military technology manufactured in Israel. Here's a look at the cutting-edge military aircraft. F-15I Ra'am fighter jets are Israeli versions of Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle planes. Following the 1991 Gulf War, during which Iraq fired Scud missiles into Israeli cities, Israel acquired the long-range planes in order to bolster its air defense system. The Israeli Air Force considered an array of models before ordering 25 F-15I planes for $2.4 billion in 1994, The New York Times reported. The first F-15I planes arrived in Israel in 1998. Israel's then-minister of defense, Itzchak Mordechai, formally accepted the planes in a ceremony at Boeing's plant in St. Louis in November 1997. The first two F-15I jets then arrived in Israel in January 1998. "From a purely technological standpoint, the F-15I is a masterpiece. It will provide the qualitative edge Israel requires to preserve peace," Boeing's then-CEO, Phil Condit, said in a statement in 1997. The Israeli Air Force named its F-15I variant "Ra'am" meaning "Thunder" in Hebrew. The planes were also customized with decals of the Star of David, a six-pointed Jewish symbol that appears on the Israeli flag. Israel added its own computer system, terrain-mapping radar, and display and sight helmet, or DASH, to the planes. Each aircraft can carry 18,000 pounds of fuel and weapons, The National Interest reported. F-15I fighter jets can fly a maximum of 4,450 kilometers, or 2,765 miles, without refueling, according to the Israeli Air Force. The planes can also be refueled while airborne, enabling them to fly even longer distances. They can reach speeds exceeding Mach 2.5, or around 1,918 miles per hour. In August 2024, the State Department approved the sale of 50 new F-15I planes and upgrade kits for Israel's existing fleet totaling $20 billion. The sale also included tank ammunition, mortars, and military vehicles. Israel won't actually receive the new F-15Is until 2029, the Associated Press reported. Israel's counteroffensive airstrikes and military operations in Gaza following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, have resulted in widespread Palestinian fatalities, increasing scrutiny of US military aid to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said it used over 150 fighter jets to target Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon in September. In September, Israel launched an airstrike on Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah, who had led the Iran-backed militant group since 1992. The Israel Defense Forces also targeted Hezbollah's military infrastructure across southern Lebanon and launched a ground offensive. The Israeli Air Force shared photos of F-15I fighter jets loaded with what appeared to be 2,000-pound BLU-109 bombs known as "bunker busters" following the airstrikes. Iran responded by launching a missile attack on Israel. US warships helped intercept the Iranian missiles, and White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Iran's attack was "ineffective." In June, Israel struck nuclear and military sites in Iran with over 200 fighter jets, including F-15I Ra'am planes. Beginning June 13, the Israel Defense Forces have bombarded Iran's nuclear facilities, military sites, and weapons manufacturing capabilities in an effort to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon and launching further attacks. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, some of which have evaded Israel's air defenses and damaged residential and commercial buildings. Photos released by the Israel Defense Forces show F-15I Ra'am jets preparing to strike Iran, as well as the involvement of Israel's F-35I Adir stealth fighter jets. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force had conducted over 600 aerial refuelings since the beginning of the strikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion.
Egypt Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
US intelligence suggests Israel prepares for potential strike on Iran's nuclear facilities: CNN
FILE - An Israeli air force F-15I Ra'am taxis down the runway during Blue Flag 2019 at Uvda Air Base, Israel, November 4, 2019 - CC/Defense Visual Information Distribution Service CAIRO – 21 May 2025: New US intelligence suggests that Israel is preparing to potentially strike Iranian nuclear facilities, according to CNN, which cited multiple US officials. Observations include the movement of air munitions and the completion of an air exercise. Sources indicated that the likelihood of an Israeli strike increases if the US negotiates a deal with Iran that does not fully dismantle the Iranian uranium stockpile. This development unfolds while US President Donald Trump's administration engages in diplomatic talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Last week, Trump said the US is close to a nuclear deal with Iran. However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described US demands for Iran to abandon uranium enrichment, even at low levels, as 'nonsense' and 'excessive.'
