Crash in western Iraq during operation against Iran
An American military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq, and U.S. Central Command said rescue efforts were under way Thursday. Central Command said it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
The AP reported that a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.
Military says it was not hostile or friendly fire
The military said in a statement that the crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, and described the plane as “a loss.”
U.S. Central Command also said that two aircraft were involved in the operation, with one landing safely and the other going down in western Iraq. Another U.S. official, also speaking anonymously to the AP, said the other plane involved also was a KC-135 tanker.
Central Command said, “More information will be made available as the situation develops,” and asked for continued patience “to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”
Fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft crash tied to the campaign
The KC-135 tanker crash was described as the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. military’s operations against Iran. Last week, the report said, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.
The AP also said all six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles involved in that earlier incident and were in stable condition after being recovered.
U.S. casualties in the Iran war so far
The Pentagon earlier said that seven American troops have been killed in combat during the Iran war so far, and that about 140 U.S. service members have been injured, including eight severely.
The AP said six of the fallen service members were killed when an Iranian drone struck an operations center at a civilian port in Kuwait. It said the six worked in logistics with the Army Reserve, keeping troops supplied with food and equipment, and that they died one day after the U.S. and Israel launched the military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28.
The report said Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces. It said the seventh American service member died after being wounded during a March 1 attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Trump, Hegseth warn more lives may be lost
The AP said President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that the Iran war would likely claim more American lives before it ends.
The report said Trump joined grieving families for a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base when the remains of the first six soldiers were returned to the United States. It said Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth and others saluted the seventh flag-draped transfer case as it arrived this week at Dover.
KC-135 background and crew details
The AP said the KC-135 tanker involved in the latest crash is based on the same design as the Boeing 707 and entered military service more than 60 years ago, with retrofits and upgrades over the years.
It said KC-135 tankers typically have a crew of three and added that it was not immediately clear what role the extra crew members were serving aboard the flight.
The AP also cited a Congressional Research Service report saying the Air Force had a total of 376 KC-135s, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve.