A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft was lost over Iraq on Thursday, killing all six people on board, U.S. Central Command said.
Central Command said the identities of the six crew members would not be released until 24 hours after families are notified.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said Friday the crew members were on a combat mission over "friendly" territory, and the incident was not due to either hostile or friendly fire.
The incident involved two aircraft that were participating in Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. offensive against Iran.
The incident took place in friendly airspace, CENTCOM said. The second plane involved was able to land safely. An Associated Press source said the second plane involved was also a KC-135 tanker.
"The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," Central Command said.
U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
The tanker is the fourth U.S. plane to go down since the war against Iran began. Last week, U.S. ally Kuwait mistakenly downed three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets. All six crew members aboard those jets ejected and were recovered.
