US military refueling plane goes down in Iraq and rescue is underway

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPINMarch 13, 2026 at 12:23 AM

Read Original Article

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A U.S. military KC-135 refueling plane crashed in western Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command on Thursday. The aircraft was involved in operations against Iran, but the crash was stated to not be the result of hostile or friendly fire. Another KC-135 tanker was involved and landed safely. Rescue efforts are underway, and details regarding potential casualties are not yet available. This is the fourth acknowledged aircraft crash during the U.S. military's operations against Iran, following the downing of three fighter jets by friendly fire last week. So far, seven American troops have died in combat during the Iran war, and approximately 140 have been wounded.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Prince Sultan Air Base 30% Saudi Arabia 30% F-15E Strike Eagle 30% Pete Hegseth 35% Donald Trump 40% U.S. Department of Defense 40% Kuwait ×245% KC-135 Stratotanker ×260% Iran ×475% Iraq ×280% U.S. Central Command ×485% United States ×790%

Keywords

military refueling plane 90% aircraft crash 80% iraq 70% kc-135 70% rescue efforts 60% u.s. central command 60% hostile fire 50% iran war 50% casualties 40%