US military refuelling plane crashes in Iraq, rescue efforts are under way

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Associated PressMarch 13, 2026 at 12:02 AM

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A U.S. military KC-135 refuelling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command. The plane was part of the operation against Iran, but the crash was not a result of hostile or friendly fire. Two KC-135 aircraft were involved, with one landing safely while the other went down. The incident is described as a "loss" by Central Command, which oversees the Middle East. Rescue efforts are currently underway, and further details are expected to be released as the situation develops. This is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. military’s operations against Iran.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kuwait 35% Middle East 40% Iran ×260% KC-135 ×275% Iraq ×280% US Central Command ×385% United States ×490%

Keywords

military refuelling plane crash 100% us central command 80% kc-135 70% iraq 70% rescue efforts 60% friendly fire 50% us military operations 50% hostile fire 50% aircraft crash 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.30

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Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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military refuelling plane crash us central command kc-135 iraq rescue efforts friendly fire us military operations hostile fire aircraft crash

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