An American military refueling plane participating in operations against Iran has crashed in Iraq, with rescue teams currently responding, U.S. Central Command reported Thursday.
It remains unclear if there were any casualties.
A U.S. official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that went down had at least five crew members on board.
The military confirmed the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, describing the aircraft as “a loss” in an official statement.
Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said that two planes were involved in the mission: one landed safely, while the other crashed in western Iraq.
A second U.S. official, also speaking anonymously, added that the other aircraft involved was likewise a KC-135 tanker.
“More information will be made available as the situation develops,” Central Command said. “We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”
This tanker marks the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft to crash in connection with military operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by friendly fire from Kuwaiti forces.
All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles involved in that incident and were reported in stable condition.
So far, seven American troops have died in combat during the Iran conflict, with around 140 U.S. service members injured, eight of them seriously, according to the Pentagon.
Both President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that the Iran war is likely to claim more American lives before it concludes.
Six of the fallen service members were killed when an Iranian drone struck an operations center at a civilian port in Kuwait.
They were Army Reserve personnel handling logistics, ensuring troops were supplied with food and equipment.
They died one day after the U.S. and Israel launched military action against Iran on Feb. 28. The Islamic Republic has since retaliated with missiles and drones targeting Israel and several Gulf Arab nations hosting U.S. forces.
The seventh U.S. service member died from injuries sustained during a March 1 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Trump joined grieving families for a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base when the remains of the first six soldiers returned to the United States.
Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth, and others saluted the seventh flag-draped transfer case as it arrived later this week at Dover.
The KC-135 tanker involved in the latest crash is based on the Boeing 707 airliner design and has been in military service for more than 60 years. Like other long-serving aircraft, it has undergone multiple retrofits and upgrades.
Typically, KC-135 tankers operate with a crew of three, though it is not immediately clear what roles the extra crew members on this flight were performing.
According to a Congressional Research Service report, the Air Force had 376 KC-135s last year: 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard, and 62 in the Air Force Reserve.
