A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12 during an aerial refueling operation linked to the ongoing Operation Epic Fury campaign against Iran.
U.S. Central Command said the accident occurred in friendly airspace and involved two aircraft during a refueling event. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq while the other landed safely.
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In a statement, CENTCOM said the incident was not caused by hostile or friendly fire and that search and rescue operations were underway following the crash.
Authorities have not confirmed whether there were casualties. U.S. officials told outlets that the situation was still developing as rescue teams continued efforts in the area.
The crash occurred while U.S. forces remain engaged in Operation Epic Fury, a military campaign targeting Iranian assets in the region.
Separately on the same day, another KC-135 operating from Israel declared an emergency. It remains unclear whether that aircraft was connected to the refueling incident over Iraq.
