The United States military has confirmed that one of its KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during ongoing joint operations with Israel against Iran. The incident occurred on Thursday in what officials described as friendly airspace under Operation Epic Fury. US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, said rescue efforts are underway but did not confirm whether there were any fatalities or survivors. The statement indicated that a second aircraft involved in the incident landed safely and clarified that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.

The crash follows a series of setbacks for US forces since the start of the campaign against Iran on February 28. Earlier, three F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences on March 1, though all six crew members survived. The Pentagon has reported seven US service members killed and 140 wounded so far, including eight with severe injuries. The conflict has also resulted in significant casualties in Iran and Israel, with violence spreading across the Gulf region.

Public opinion in the United States remains largely opposed to the war, with multiple polls showing a majority of voters disapprove of the offensive and reject the idea of deploying ground troops.