Florida [US], Mar 13: US Central Command confirmed four crew members died when a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq Thursday afternoon during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, with rescue efforts ongoing for the two others aboard.
The incident at 2 pm ET involved six crew in friendly airspace; CENTCOM ruled out hostile or friendly fire, noting a second plane landed safely, as investigations probe the cause.
Iran’s state media countered sharply, alleging resistance groups in western Iraq downed the refueller with a missile while it aided US fighters, claiming all six crew perished—names withheld pending family notifications.
