A U.S. military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday (March 12, 2026), in an incident U.S. Central Command said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
The United States has surged a large number of aircraft into West Asia to take part in operations against Iran.
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In a statement, U.S. Central Command said it was carrying out rescue efforts after the U.S. KC-135 refuelling aircraft went down. The second aircraft landed safely.
“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” the statement said, using the name of the U.S. operation against Iran.
