March 13, 2026 | 10:48 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iran claimed on Friday, March 13, 2026, that a United States (US) refueling aircraft was shot down in western Iraq, resulting in the deaths of its crew.
Iranian state television, citing Anadolu, quoted a spokesperson from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Khatam al-Anbiya military base, who stated that a missile fired by "resistance factions" struck the aircraft, causing it to crash. The spokesperson asserted that the aircraft belonged to the US military and that all crew members perished, according to the report.
On Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the loss of a KC-135 refueling aircraft in Iraq during operations against Iran. In a statement, CENTCOM noted the incident occurred in allied airspace during Operation Epic Fury, involving two aircraft. One aircraft crashed in western Iraq, while the second landed safely, the command said, adding that rescue efforts were underway.
"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. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," the statement read, as reported by Anadolu.
Prior to the crash, the US military reported that eight service members had been killed in the ongoing campaign. Another 140 were injured, with Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell noting that eight individuals suffered severe injuries.
US Losses
The crash on Thursday, reported by Al Jazeera, is the latest setback for the US military since launching operations against Iran on February 28. Previously, three fighter jets were downed in a friendly fire incident on March 1, just one day after the conflict began.
Central Command claimed the three F-15E Strike Eagles were "mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences" during active combat as Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East. In that instance, six personnel successfully ejected and were evacuated in stable condition.
However, the war against Iran remains unpopular with the American public, with polls indicating it is the first conflict in decades to garner negative approval ratings from the outset. A survey released March 9 by Quinnipiac University found 53 percent of voters opposed military strikes against Iran. An even higher proportion, 74 percent, opposed initiating ground operations involving US troops on the ground.
These findings were echoed by other polling. Research firm Ipsos found that 43 percent of surveyed Americans disapproved of the strikes, significantly higher than the 29 percent who approved, while the remainder expressed uncertainty.
In addition to the eight US service members killed, an estimated 1,348 Iranian civilians have died since hostilities began. Fifteen Israeli citizens and 17 others in nearby Gulf countries have also perished as violence spreads across the region.
Read: Iran's President Sets 3 Conditions to End War With US, Israel
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