4 Of 6 On Board US Refuelling Aircraft Killed In Iraq Crash

Four of six crew members on the United States Air Force KC-135 aircraft that crashed in western Iraq have died, the US' Central Command said in an X post Friday afternoon. Efforts to rescue the other two are ongoing, CENTCOM said.

CENTCOM said the reasons remain "under investigation", though it ruled out hostile or friendly fire as causes. The identities of the deceased soldiers have been withheld for 24 hours after their family have been notified, CENTCOM concluded.

The US military confirmed Thursday that a KC-135 - used to refuel other aircraft mid-air - had crashed while a second (unspecified) plane involved in the incident landed safely.

Four Confirmed Deceased in Loss of U.S. KC-135 Over Iraq

TAMPA, Fla. – At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue.

The…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026

Iran state media has claimed a resistance group in neighbouring Iraq - the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions - shot down the plane with a missile.

Washington firmly denied the claim and said no hostile fire had been reported.

The KC-135 that went down was the fourth military aircraft the US has lost in the Iran war; three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down by a Kuwaiti F-18 on March 2 in an 'accident'.

RECAP | US Military Aircraft Crashes In Iraq, 4th American Plane Lost During Iran War

An unnamed American official told The Wall Street Journal that the pilot of the F-18 had mistakenly launched three missiles towards the three jets, which went down over Kuwait.

RECAP | F-15 Seen Crashing On Camera, Kuwait Says Several US Warplanes Fell

The KC-135, built by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, is a crucial part of the US military's air refuelling fleet and plays an important role in long-range operations. In operation for over 60 years, KC-135s usually have a three-person crew - the pilot, the copilot, and a third who operates the boom used to refuel other aircraft, the US Air Force explained.

The US-Israel war on Iran kicked off Feb 28 with joint strikes on Tehran.

Since then the fighting has spread to other Gulf nations, with the Iranian regime not only targeting American and Israeli military bases but also civilian and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, driving fears of a global fuel shortage after Tehran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime passageway through which 20 million barrels of oil pass daily.