What to know about the F-15E fighter jet
US forces staged the audacious rescue of an airman behind enemy lines after Iran downed his F-15E fighter jet, officials said on Sunday.
The F-15E Strike Eagle is an American jet derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. It was designed in the 1980s to be suitable for all weather, day and night conditions, and to fly at low altitudes.
While primarily an air-to-ground attack aircraft, it can also perform air-to-air missions, carrying AIM-9M Sidewinders, AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles, or AMRAAM. The E model also has a 20mm gun carrying up to 500 rounds.
The F-15 can fly up to 1,875 mph (Mach 2.5 plus) with a range of 2,400 miles. It costs $31.1 million per unit.
The jet is flown and operated by a pilot and a weapons system officer. In this case, the pilot was initially rescued, and the ‘Wizo’ was trapped behind enemy lines.
This marks the fourth Strike Eagle lost since 28 February, but the first taken down by enemy fire.
A United States Air Force F-15 fighter (file) (Getty Images)
James Reynolds5 April 2026 08:40
Israel claims 2,000 strikes in Lebanon
Israel’s air force says that it has now struck more than 2,000 targets “to support the ground forces in southern Lebanon”.
Israel’s military has been clashing with Hezbollah in Lebanon since the conflict with Iran broke out. The fighting has left hundreds of thousands of people displaced, and killed thousands.
James Reynolds5 April 2026 08:20
Egypt working with US on de-escalation
Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty says in a statement he discussed ideas and proposals with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and regional counterparts towards regional de-escalation.
James Reynolds5 April 2026 08:03
American C-130 and Blackhawks downed in hunt for US airman, Iran claims
Tehran claims to have destroyed several US aircraft during the daring mission to recover a downed airman stranded in Iran.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that several “flying objects” were destroyed during the rescue mission, according to the Tasnim news agency.
The spokesperson of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, said the downed aircraft included a C-130 and two Black Hawk helicopters.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s army also said they had downed an Israeli drone in the same province.
Donald Trump said overnight that the US military had sent “dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World” to find an airman stuck behind enemy lines after Iran downed his F-15E fighter jet.
Reuters reported on Friday that two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search were hit by Iranian fire but escaped from Iranian airspace. In a separate incident, a pilot ejected from an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft after it was hit over Kuwait and crashed, officials said.
An F-15E Strike Eagle, like the one that was shot down (file) (AP)
James Reynolds5 April 2026 07:31
Tank catches fire at Bahrain oil storage facility after Iranian attack
A tank caught fire at one of Bapco Energies’ storage facilities in Bahrain this morning following an Iranian attack, the company said, with no injuries reported.
The fire has been extinguished, and damage is being assessed, Bapco said in a statement.
Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 07:09
Iran executes two men over January protests as rights groups warn of further imminent executions
Iran has executed two men convicted of attempting to storm a military facility and access an armoury during anti-government unrest in January, the judiciary’s Mizan news outlet reported today.
The men, identified as Mohammadamin Biglari and Shahin Vahedparast, were among a group of four in the same case who faced execution, according to Amnesty International. Iran’s Supreme Court upheld their sentences, with Mizan saying they were among “rioters who sought to commit mass murder” by attempting to steal weapons and military equipment.
Last week, Iran executed 18-year-old Amirhossein Hatami, convicted in the same case stemming from nationwide anti-government protests which the Islamic Republic suppressed in what rights groups have called the biggest crackdown in its history.
Amnesty said in a recent report that 11 men faced imminent execution for participation in the protests, and that those convicted had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment in detention before being tried in “grossly unfair trials that relied on forced confessions.”
Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 06:51
Karoline Leavitt hails rescue of both F-15 crew members from Iran
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she was “proud of our troops, proud of our President, proud to be an American,” after Donald Trump confirmed both crew members of an F-15 jet downed over Iran had been rescued in what he called the most daring search and rescue operations in US military memory.
Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 06:00
Full story: ‘WE GOT HIM’: Trump declares success after US airman shot down in Iran rescued
A missing U.S. service member who was shot down in Iran has been rescued, Donald Trump has announced.
“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” the president posted on Truth Social late Saturday night.
Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 05:48
Trump confirms both F-15 crew members rescued from Iran, hails ‘most daring’ operations
Donald Trump confirmed that both crew members of an F-15 jet downed over Iran had been rescued, saying the back-to-back operations were the first time in military memory that two US pilots had been retrieved separately from inside enemy territory.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the second airman, a colonel, had been recovered from “the treacherous mountains of Iran” after being hunted by Iranian forces. He said the officer sustained injuries but would recover. Trump added that the first rescue, carried out the previous day, had been deliberately withheld from public confirmation to avoid compromising the second mission.
“This is the first time in military memory that two US pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory,” Trump wrote. He said both operations had been completed without a single American killed or wounded, calling it proof of “overwhelming air dominance and superiority over the Iranian skies.”
Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 05:40
US rescues second airman from F-15 downed over Iran – report
The United States has rescued the second crew member of an F-15 jet brought down over Iran, two US officials have told Reuters.
The officials did not provide further details on the rescue, according to the news agency. The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the rescue.
Iran said on Friday its air defences had shot down the aircraft. Reports indicated that the first of the two-person crew had already been recovered. The fate of the second airman had not been confirmed until Saturday.
Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 05:19