Washington, 13 March: Four crew members of a United States Air Force refuelling aircraft were killed after the plane crashed in western Iraq during a mission linked to ongoing military operations connected to the conflict involving Iran, US officials said on Friday.
The aircraft, a KC-135 Stratotanker, went down on Thursday afternoon while operating in Iraqi airspace, according to the United States Central Command. Two tanker aircraft were involved in the mission, but the second plane landed safely.
Military officials said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Initial assessments indicate that the aircraft was not brought down by hostile fire or friendly fire, although the circumstances surrounding the incident are still being examined.
Search and recovery operations continued as authorities worked to locate and assist the remaining crew members. The identities of the personnel who died have not been released, as the military is first notifying their families.
The KC-135 tanker, produced by Boeing, is designed to refuel combat aircraft while in flight, enabling fighter jets and bombers to conduct longer missions without returning to base. Introduced into service more than six decades ago, the aircraft remains a core component of the US Air Force’s aerial refuelling fleet.
The crash occurred in what the US military described as friendly airspace in western Iraq, though the area has seen activity by armed groups aligned with Iran. Iranian state media reported claims that an allied militia had targeted the aircraft with a missile, a claim that has not been confirmed by US officials.
The incident comes amid rising tensions linked to the ongoing confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran. According to Pentagon figures, at least 11 US service members have died since the conflict escalated, while more than 100 others have been injured.
The loss of the tanker also marks the fourth US military aircraft reported lost during the current conflict. Earlier in the month, three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were mistakenly shot down in a friendly-fire incident over Kuwait. All crew members from those aircraft survived after ejecting safely.
Meanwhile, fighting across the region continued. The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a new wave of large-scale strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in and around Tehran, with explosions reported near the capital.
Escalating tensions have also rattled global markets. Oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel amid fears that the conflict could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy transit route that Iran has threatened to block.
In a separate incident in northern Iraq, the French military said a drone attack killed one soldier, identified as Staff Sgt Arnaud Frion, and wounded six others at a base where troops were training Iraqi forces.
US President Donald Trump said the conflict could end soon but warned that Washington was prepared to intensify its actions if necessary.
“The war could end very soon,” Trump said, while also suggesting that the United States could “go further” if the situation escalates.
