DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Four of the six crew members aboard a US KC‑135 refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq have been confirmed dead, the U.S. military said Friday.
The American military refueling plane was supporting the U.S. operation against Iran when it went down in western Iraq, U.S. Central Command said.
The military said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire and described the aircraft as "a loss."
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Four crew members confirmed dead in KC‑135 crash in Iraq, says US military | FOX 5 AT 6AM
Four of the six crew members aboard a US KC‑135 refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq have been confirmed dead, the U.S. military said Friday.
MILDENHALL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, takes off from RAF Mildenhall on January 07, 2026 in Mildenhall, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
U.S. Central Command said two aircraft were involved in the mission. One landed safely while the other crashed. A second U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the other aircraft was also a KC‑135 tanker, according to the Associated Press.
The tanker is the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft to crash during the campaign against Iran.
Last week, three American F‑15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti forces. All six crew members ejected safely and were later recovered in stable condition.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press.