Four members of the crew were killed when a US refueling plane crashed in western Iraq, according to the US Central Command. The military has reported that rescue operations are still underway to find the remaining two out of six crew members who were onboard the aircraft. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances behind the crash, with Washington ruling out the possibility of it being caused by 'hostile or friendly fire'.

In a related development, Israeli Channel 12 reported that a second refueling aircraft successfully landed at Ben Gurion Airport. Meanwhile, an Iraqi group known as the 'Islamic Resistance' claimed responsibility for downing an American KC-135 aircraft and targeting another in Western Iraq, asserting that the second plane made an emergency landing at one of the enemy airports, and its crew was able to escape.

This incident occurs against the backdrop of increased hostilities involving Iran amidst the ongoing US-Israeli conflict that has escalated since February 28. Iran has been conducting attacks in the Gulf, Iraq, and Jordan under the pretext of targeting US bases, while Iraqi armed factions have also announced strikes against bases within Iraq.