Six U.S. crew members killed after Air Force refueling plane crashes in Iraq

All six crew members aboard a U.S. military refueling aircraft were killed when their plane crashed in western Iraq, the United States Central Command confirmed Friday.

The aircraft, a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, was supporting operations linked to the war with Iran. Military officials said the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in friendly airspace, though the second plane landed safely.

Authorities said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, but the exact cause remains under investigation.

The KC-135 is a long-serving U.S. Air Force tanker used to refuel aircraft in midair, allowing fighters and bombers to remain in the air longer without landing. The aircraft design dates back more than 60 years and is based on the same platform as the Boeing 707. The Air Force plans to gradually replace the aging tankers with the newer Boeing KC-46A Pegasus.

The crash marks the fourth publicly reported U.S. aircraft loss since the conflict with Iran escalated. It comes just days after three F-15E Strike Eagle jets were accidentally shot down by friendly fire from Kuwait.

Refueling tankers are expected to play an increasingly important role if the conflict continues, as U.S. aircraft may need to fly longer missions to reach targets deeper inside Iran. Investigators are now working to determine what caused the crash.