Four crew members tragically lost their lives in a US Air Force refueling aircraft crash in Iraq on Thursday, as confirmed by the US Central Command on Friday morning.
The KC-135 Stratotanker was carrying a total of six crew members when it went down in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury. USCC officials stated that the incident is currently under investigation, clarifying that the aircraft's loss was not a result of hostile or friendly fire.
The identities of the deceased crew members are being withheld by the US military until 24 hours after their families have been notified. The conditions of the two remaining crew members are unknown at this time.
Notably, the crash involved two planes, with the second aircraft, also a KC-135, managing to land safely following the incident.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed armed groups, claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft, citing defense of their country's sovereignty and airspace as their motivation.
The deaths of the four crew members bring the total American military fatalities to 11 since the initiation of Operation Epic Fury on February 28. Among those lost were six US Army Reserve members in a drone strike on a US base in Kuwait, identified as Nicole Amor, Cody Khork, Declan Coady, Robert Marzan, Jeffrey O’Brien, and Noah Tietjens.
Additionally, Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington of the Army's 1st Space Brigade succumbed to injuries sustained in an Iranian retaliatory strike at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Operation Epic Fury, now in its 13th day, began with a joint US-Israeli military action targeting Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and around 40 military officials. President Trump reportedly informed world leaders that Iran was on the brink of surrender during a call with G7 heads of state, emphasizing the removal of what he described as a threatening "cancer."
Following Khamenei's death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was purportedly promoted to succeed him, though the whereabouts and activities of the newly appointed leader remain unknown. Trump highlighted the absence of a clear leadership figure within the Iranian regime as a hindrance to any potential surrender announcement.
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