U.S. launches rescue efforts after KC-135 military refueling plane crashes over Iraq

The U.S. military said Thursday that a KC-135 military refueling plane was lost while flying over Iraq in an incident that was “not due to hostile or enemy fire.”

The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the incident involved two aircraft and occurred in friendly airspace. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely, it added.

“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing, the the U.S. Central Command said, referring to the war against Iran, which led to retaliatory strikes by Tehran across the Middle East.

It was unclear how many U.S. service members were on board the KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of militias in the country backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the downing of the U.S. aircraft in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.

This is the fourth reported aircraft loss since the Iran war started, after three F-15 fighters were shot down by friendly fire from Kuwait’s air defenses.

The KC-135, which cost $39.6 million in 1998 according to the U.S. Air Force, is normally used to refuel other aircraft in mid-air.

The aircraft loss comes as Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, said Tehran would make the U.S. “sorry” for starting the war in Iran.

“Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets,” Larijani said in a post on X early Friday.

His statement followed remarks by Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, that the Strait of Hormuz maritime passage should remain closed as a “tool to pressure the enemy.”

Khamenei also said all U.S. military bases in the Middle East should close immediately and warned that “those bases will be attacked,” in televised comments translated by Reuters.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming that “we won” in Iran and that the war will end “very soon,” more foreign ships were struck in the Persian Gulf on Thursday.

Iran also warned that oil prices could climb to $200 a barrel, accusing the U.S. of destabilising regional security, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s military command, said Wednesday, according to Reuters.

— CNBC’s Sam Meredith and Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.