The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that all six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq have died.
In a statement posted on March 13, 2026, via its official X account, CENTCOM said the aircraft went down the previous day while operating in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign linked to the ongoing war with Iran.
“All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased,” CENTCOM said.
According to the command, the aircraft was lost on March 12 while conducting a mission in support of the ongoing military operation.
“The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury.”
CENTCOM noted that investigations are underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash, stressing that the incident was not caused by enemy action.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
The command added that the identities of the deceased service members will not be released immediately in line with military notification procedures.
“The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.”
The KC-135 Stratotanker was carrying out aerial refueling operations supporting U.S. military missions tied to the Iran conflict when the crash occurred.
(AP News)
