A US KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing four crew members and raising the conflict's US death toll to 11. The incident is under investigation, with a mid-air collision suspected, despite an Iran-backed group claiming responsibility.
Four U.S. service members were confirmed dead after a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, bringing the total U.S. fatalities in the ongoing conflict to 11. Rescue efforts are continuing, and the circumstances of the incident are under investigation, with officials suggesting a mid-air collision as a possible cause, ruling out hostile or friendly fire. A second U.S. plane involved in the incident safely made an emergency landing in Israel. The crash occurred during 'Operation Epic Fury,' a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign against Iran. Despite official denials of hostile fire, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed umbrella group, has claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft. U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have both acknowledged the inevitability of American casualties in the campaign, with Trump observing a dignified transfer ceremony for the first six soldiers killed.
