Chicago – March 13, 2026
An American military aerial refueling tanker that was involved in the U.S. military operation in Iran crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, according to multiple U.S. officials.
Recovery efforts are underway in the area where a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crashed. The status of the crew is unknown at this time. A second Stratotanker was damaged but landed safely.
The first plane went down near Turaibil, which is along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, an Iraqi intelligence source told media. According to flight tracking service FlightRadar24, a KC-135 tanker declared an emergency before landing in Tel Aviv Thursday evening.
U.S. Central Command released a statement Thursday afternoon saying both aircraft were involved in the same incident, and it was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire.
