US Military Refuelling Aircraft Crashes in Iraq, Five Crew Members on Board

• A US military refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq during operations against Iran, with at least five crew members on board
• Seven American troops have been killed since the conflict's start, while around 140 have sustained injuries
• The crash is not attributed to hostile fire, with details pending as the military gathers information on the incident

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

UNITED STATES - A US military refuelling aircraft taking part in operations against Iran crashed in Iraq on Thursday, 12 March 2026, with rescue efforts underway, according to US Central Command.

US military refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq

The military said it was not clear whether there were any casualties. A US official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker that crashed had at least five crew members on board. Central Command said two aircraft were involved in the incident in western Iraq. One aircraft landed safely while the other went down. A second US official, who also spoke anonymously, said the other aircraft involved was another KC-135 tanker.

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The military said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire and described the aircraft as "a loss". Central Command said more details would be released as information becomes available and asked for patience while officials gather facts and inform the families of service members. The tanker is the fourth aircraft publicly reported to have crashed during US military operations linked to the conflict with Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by friendly fire from Kuwait. The US said all six crew members aboard the F-15E Strike Eagle jets ejected safely and were later recovered in stable condition.

Seven American troops have been killed in combat

According to the United States Department of Defence, seven American troops have been killed in combat since the start of the conflict, while about 140 US service members have been injured, including eight severely. Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that the war could claim additional American lives before it ends. Six of the deaths occurred when an Iranian drone struck an operations centre at a civilian port in Kuwait. The soldiers, who served in the United States Army Reserve and worked in logistics, were responsible for supplying troops with food and equipment.

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They were killed one day after the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on 28 February 2026. Tehran later retaliated with missiles and drones targeting Israel and several Gulf states hosting US forces. The seventh American service member died after being wounded in a 1 March 2026 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base when the remains of the first six soldiers were returned to the United States. Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth and other officials also attended the transfer of the seventh service member's remains earlier this week.

The KC-135 tanker involved in the latest crash is based on the design of the Boeing 707 airliner and entered military service more than 60 years ago. The aircraft has undergone several upgrades and retrofits over time. KC-135 tankers typically operate with a crew of three, although officials said it was not yet clear why additional crew members were on board during the flight. According to the Congressional Research Service, the United States Air Force operated 376 KC-135 aircraft last year, including 151 on active duty, 163 assigned to the Air National Guard and 62 in the United States Air Force Reserve.

Trump declares US victory in Iran war despite ongoing attacks

Briefly News also reported that Donald Trump has provided another narrative about the ongoing war in Iran, changing his story about who was winning the conflict.

The President of the United States has been contradicted by his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, about the status of the conflict.

Source: Briefly News