US military refueling aircraft crashes in Iraq, Centcom says

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The Hill's Headlines — March 12, 2026

The Hill's Headlines — March 12, 2026

The U.S. military announced Thursday that a refueling aircraft, a KC-135, crashed in western Iraq in an incident that was not caused by friendly or hostile fire.

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said two aircraft were involved in the incident, with one going down and the other “landed safely.” It is unclear if there were any casualties or how many people were injured.

The incident took place in “friendly airspace” during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing, Centcom said. 

Numerous KC-135 aircraft, which are produced by Boeing and were first deployed in 1956, are in the Centcom area of responsibility amid the U.S. war with Iran. 

The aircraft has a range of up to 1,500 miles with about 150,000 pounds of transfer fuel and can provide refueling support to the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and other aircraft from allied countries. 

The crash comes as the war in Iran intensifies, with the U.S. and Israel continuing to strike targets inside the country while Tehran retaliates against Israel and U.S. assets in Gulf countries. 

The U.S. military has hit about 6,000 targets inside Iran since the war broke out and has hit or sunk more than 90 Iranian vessels, including more than 30 mine-laying boats, according to Centcom. 

At least seven U.S. service members have been killed since the war began, and another 140 have been wounded, the Pentagon previously said. 

“We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members,” Centcom said Thursday.

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