- Iran claims US KC-135 shot down in Western Iraq.
- US CENTCOM denies hostile fire, confirms aircraft loss.
- Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims responsibility for attack.
A US military refuelling plane was shot down by a missile fired by resistance groups in Western Iraq, Iran's state media has cited the spokesman for the Central Headquarters of Iran's Military to claim, a claim US denied. The spokesperson further told Press TV that all six of the service members on board had been killed. With this, at least four US military aircraft were crashed during the ongoing Operation Epic Fury.
The United States has deployed a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to take part in operations against Iran, and the incident highlights the risk of operations, even over friendly skies.
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet over the middle east during Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/3z9UzXyLt9
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
Press TV reported that the Public Relations Department of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) also said in a statement that the air defence systems of the Resistance Front succeeded in targeting a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker while it was refuelling an aggressor fighter jet.
CENTCOM claims incident not due to hostile fire or friendly fire
Earlier, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the loss of a US Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft over Iraq while supporting military operations, according to an official press release. However, it denied any incident of Hostile fire.
U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
According to a press release issued by CENTCOM, the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury. "Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, while the second aircraft was able to land safely," the release said. "This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," CENTCOM posted on X.
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Authorities added that rescue efforts are currently underway. "More information will be made available as the situation develops. We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members," the release said.
Was Iraqi milita group involved in US plane crash?
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the US military refuelling aircraft. The group said in a statement it had shot down the KC-135 aircraft "in defence of our country's sovereignty and airspace".
The KC-135, built by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, has served as the backbone of the US military's air refuelling fleet and is critical to allow aircraft to carry out missions without having to land. Since the US and Israel started carrying out strikes against Iran on February 28, seven US troops have been killed. The United States has carried out strikes against more than
6,000 targets in Iran. However, the latest claim of the Iraqi Resistance group left the impression that the Trump administration is hiding facts to get exposed.
(With inputs from agency)