Four U.S. service members have been confirmed dead after a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, the U.S. military said.
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said the aircraft went down at around 2 p.m. ET on March 12, with six crew members believed to have been on board. Rescue operations are still underway for the remaining personnel.
“At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” the U.S Central Command said on X.
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Four Confirmed Deceased in Loss of U.S. KC-135 Over Iraq
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026
TAMPA, Fla. – At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue.
The…
The command added that the cause of the incident is under investigation, but clarified that the crash was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury,” the statement said, referring to the U.S. military's operation targeting Iran.
U.S. Central Command also confirmed that two aircraft were involved in the incident, though only one crashed.
“Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely,” the command said.
According to Reuters, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said the second aircraft was also a KC-135 refueling plane. The crash comes at a time when the United States has deployed a significant number of aircraft to the Middle East as part of operations against Iran, underscoring the operational risks even in friendly airspace.
However, Reuters also reported that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft. The group said in a statement it had shot down the KC-135 aircraft “in defense of our country's sovereignty and airspace.”
U.S. officials have not linked the crash to any attack and maintain that the loss of the aircraft was not caused by hostile action. The identities of the deceased service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified, the U.S. military said.
The KC-135, built by Boeing (BA.N) in the 1950s and early 1960s, has long formed the backbone of the U.S. military's aerial refueling fleet, enabling aircraft to conduct extended missions without needing to land.
Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, seven American troops have been killed. The United States has also carried out strikes on more than 6,000 targets inside Iran. According to Reuters, up to 150 U.S. troops have been wounded in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The crash was reported on the same day that two U.S. sailors were injured after a non-combat-related fire broke out aboard the USS Gerald Ford. So far, the conflict has killed more than 2,000 people, including nearly 700 in Lebanon, according to a report in Reuters.
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