Six U.S. service members killed in plane crash over Iraq

Six U.S. service members were killed Thursday when a refueling aircraft, part of the military operation against Iran, crashed in western Iraq. U.S. military authorities said the loss of the KC-135 military refueling plane occurred in friendly airspace. Two planes were involved in the incident, and the second plane landed safely, U.S. Central Command said in a Thursday statement. The circumstances of the crash were under investigation, authorities added. Authorities said the identities of the deceased would be withheld for 24 hours until after families were notified.

Has anyone taken responsibility for the crash? The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of militias in the country supported by Iran, reportedly claimed responsibility for the incident, according to Reuters. However, Central Command said Friday the loss of the plane was not due to hostile or enemy fire.

This is the fourth reported U.S. aircraft loss that has occurred during operations against Iran. Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down a trio of U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles earlier this month. No crew members were killed in that incident.

What else is new in the conflict? During a news conference Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded and likely disfigured. The defense secretary did not provide evidence of the condition, but pointed out that Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over leadership. Additionally, Iran’s new leader did not show his face during his first address to the country Thursday. Instead, a state television announcer read the leader’s statement.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report on threats from Iran’s new leader against the Strait of Hormuz.