6 U.S. Service Members Killed In Plane Crash Over Iraq

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WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – All six crew members aboard a U.S. military refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are confirmed to have been killed, the U.S. military said on Friday.

A U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident the military said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

The deaths add to the seven U.S. service members who have already been killed as part of U.S. operations against Iran which began on February 28.

“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” a statement from U.S. Central Command said.

A U.S. official told Reuters that the second aircraft involved in the crash, which landed safely, was also a military refueling aircraft known as the KC-135.

The United States has deployed a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to take part in operations against Iran and the incident highlights the risk of not just operations, but of refueling aircraft in the air.

March 13, 2026

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All Crew Members of U.S. KC-135 Loss in Iraq Confirmed Deceased

TAMPA, Fla. – All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during…

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

A U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft flies over Tel Aviv on March 4, 2026.

Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

The KC-135, built by Boeing BA.N in the 1950s and early 1960s, has served as the backbone of the U.S. military’s air refueling fleet and is critical to allowing aircraft to carry out missions without having to land.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the U.S. military refueling aircraft.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that as many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. News of the crash comes the same day two U.S. sailors were injured after the USS Gerald Ford suffered a non-combat-related fire on board.

The first seven U.S. troops were killed when a drone slammed into a U.S. military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.

President Donald Trump and other senior officials have warned the Iran conflict will result in more U.S. military deaths as Tehran retaliates against U.S. and Israeli strikes.

6 U.S. Service Members Killed In Plane Crash Over Iraq

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