Four killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq, military confirms

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete March 13, 2026 at 10:55 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A US Air Force KC-135 refuelling plane crashed in western Iraq around 19:00 GMT on Thursday, resulting in the confirmed deaths of four of the six crew members. US Central Command (Centcom) stated that neither hostile nor friendly fire caused the crash, which occurred during ongoing US operations against Iran. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation, and the identities of the deceased are being withheld until their families are notified. This crash brings the US military death toll in the US-Israel war with Iran to 11, with at least four US aircraft lost during the conflict. Iran's military claimed an allied group targeted the plane with a missile, though Centcom has not confirmed this.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kuwait 30% Israel 40% Gulf War 40% US Air Force 50% Boeing ×260% Iran ×470% KC-135 Stratotanker ×375% Iraq ×380% US Central Command (Centcom) ×485% United States ×1090%

Keywords

aircraft crash 100% us military 90% refuelling plane 80% iraq 70% kc-135 stratotanker 70% us central command 60% aerial refuelling 60% iran 50% friendly fire 50% military operations 40%