U.S. Central Command said all six crew members on the refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq are deceased. “Rescue Efforts” Ongoing After U.S. Refueling Aircraft Goes Down, U.S. Central Command Says "All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury," U.S. Central Command said. "The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified," it added. All Crew Members of U.S. KC-135 Loss in Iraq Confirmed Deceased TAMPA, Fla. – All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during… — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026 NBC News has more: As is standard protocol in military deaths, the identities of those killed are being withheld until 24 hours after their families have been informed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the crew of the refueling plane as "American heroes." "War is hell. War is chaos. And as we saw yesterday with the tragic crash of our KC-135 tanker, bad things can happen," he told a Pentagon news briefing Friday. "We will greet those heroes at Dover and their sacrifice will only recommit us to the resolve of this mission," Hegseth said. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, speaking alongside Hegseth, said: "Our service members make an incredible sacrifice to go forward and do the things that the nation asks of them. It’s a reminder of the true cost of the dedication and commitment of the joint force." "At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified," U.S. Central Command said in a prior post on Friday. Four Confirmed Deceased in Loss of U.S. KC-135 Over Iraq TAMPA, Fla. – At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue. The… — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026 The crash raises the total number of deceased U.S. service members in Operation Epic Fury to 13. BREAKING: All 6 US crew members on refueling tanker that crashed after mid-air collision with other aircraft are confirmed dead, bringing total US killed in action to 13 during Operation Epic Fury pic.twitter.com/2hiJQbhdX8 — Fox News (@FoxNews) March 13, 2026 NPR shared further: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes have hit more than 15,000 targets and injured the new Iranian supreme leader. President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the U.S. is "totally destroying" Iran's regime, militarily and economically. Late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had weakened Iran's rulers, but it may not be enough to topple them — the Iranian people would have to do that. Iranian and Lebanese health officials and Israeli authorities reported more than 1,300 people killed in Iran, 773 people in Lebanon and 12 civilians in Israel, as well as two Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon. Wednesday's aircraft crash over Iraq brings the U.S. military death toll to 13, seven of whom were killed in combat. Eight U.S. service members are severely injured, according to the Pentagon. The humanitarian toll also deepened as the total number of people displaced by the fighting in Iran and Lebanon reached into the millions.