U.S. Central Command announced that it lost a military refueling aircraft over Iraq amid the war in Iran. Four of the six crew members of the KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft died in the incident, U.S. Central Command revealed in a press release published early Friday morning.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” read the release announcing the deaths. “The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.”
Two KC-135 Stratotankers were involved in the incident, the Associated Press reported. One went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely, officials said, claiming the incident was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. Investigators suspect a midair collision may have caused the crash, though details were still murky, Air Force officials told the New York Times. The inquiry and search-and-rescue effort to locate the downed crew was still underway as of late Thursday.
“U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” CENTCOM said in a statement on X. “We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”
The KC-135 typically has a crew of three: a pilot, a co-pilot, and a boom operator, though the plane involved in the crash had a crew of six, according to Friday’s release. The aircraft are routinely used for air-to-air refueling missions, providing the “core aerial refueling capability” for the Air Force, according to the Pentagon, and can carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo.
The incident Thursday comes as the U.S. military is engaged in operations against Iran, aimed at eliminating the regime’s nuclear weapons program and installing leadership more favorable to the West. The war is now approaching the two-week mark, costing over $11 billion in the first seven days of operations alone, according to the Trump administration.
The impact has spread globally, particularly through Iran’s hold over the oil and shipping industries via the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In its operation thus far, the United States has eliminated large swaths of Iran’s leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and crippled the regime’s navy and air defense capabilities.
UKRAINE LOOKS TO PROVE ITS VALUE TO AMERICA WITH DRONE ASSISTANCE
The White House has repeatedly said it believes the war could last between four and six weeks. President Donald Trump said Thursday it is moving “very rapidly” after telling Axios the previous day the conflict would be over “soon” because there is “practically nothing left to target.”
Still, the president has not categorically ruled out deploying troops to Iran, a move that would draw out the war but which some lawmakers say would be necessary to accomplish the objective of fully eliminating the country’s nuclear threat.
