The Pentagon has confirmed the loss of another aircraft in an incident allegedly unrelated to “hostile or friendly fire”
Published 11 Mar, 2026 22:43
| Updated 12 Mar, 2026 23:17
FILE PHOTO © USAF / Getty Images
The US Department of War has launched a rescue operation following an unexplained “loss” of a Boeing KC-135 refueling aircraft in the “friendly airspace” of Iraq, as Tehran and its allied militias continue their retaliatory strikes against Israeli and American military assets in the region.
The crash of the KC-135 Stratotanker has become the fourth officially confirmed loss of a US manned aircraft over the past 13 days of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury. Three F-15E Strike Eagles were downed in an alleged “friendly fire” incident over Kuwait on March 1.
Iranian media claimed that the jet was downed by pro-Tehran militias, who also attacked a Kurdish base in Iraq earlier in the day, injuring six French troops. The Pentagon insists none of its jets were lost due to enemy fire.
Meanwhile, Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz would remain shut. Against this backdrop, Brent futures soared above the $100 mark on Thursday, with global oil markets remaining highly volatile.
Here are the latest developments as RT continues to bring you up to date:
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In his first public address, Khamenei announced that Tehran will seek restitution from the US and Israel, threatening to forcibly seize or destroy the aggressors’ assets in case of refusal.
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The Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the European Union of being complicit in the “US and Israeli aggression, brutalities, and atrocities,” after the bloc imposed a fresh batch of sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
- At least two oil tankers were hit near Iraq’s Umm Qasr port early on Thursday, while the port of Salalah in Oman continued to burn overnight. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also reported strikes on their oil facilities. Oman evacuated vessels from Mina Al Fahal as a precaution.
- US President Donald Trump claimed Iran has been “virtually destroyed,” but said he does not plan to end the campaign early, insisting the Strait of Hormuz remains “in great shape.”
- A Pentagon probe into the strike on a primary school in Minab that killed 168 children reportedly found that outdated US targeting data on a nearby IRGC facility likely caused the attack.
- The IDF intensified strikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah coordinated attacks with Iran’s IRGC, hitting a Beirut refugee camp. The total death toll in Lebanon now exceeds 634.
- Western banks began closing Middle East branches after Iran threatened financial institutions in retaliation for the strike on Tehran’s state-owned Bank Sepah, which handles military and IRGC payrolls.
- The FBI has warned the California authorities that Iran planned to launch drone strikes from an unidentified vessel off the West Coast, but local officials have downplayed the alert. Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X: “while we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency.”
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
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12 March 2026
23:23 GMT
Just hours before the crash, US Central Command was bragging about the KC-135 Stratotanker’s capabilities, posting photos of mid-air refueling of a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet somewhere over the Middle East.
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet over the middle east during Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/3z9UzXyLt9
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
- 22:50 GMT
The crash of the KC-135 Stratotanker has become the fourth officially confirmed loss of a US manned aircraft over the past 13 days of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury.
Three F-15E Strike Eagles were downed in a “friendly fire” incident over Kuwait on March 1, according to the Pentagon. Reports suggest that they may have been engaged by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet, after analysis of the footage showed no signs of Patriot or other ground-based air defense fire.
US officials have also confirmed the loss of at least 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones in Iranian airspace. American manned aircraft continue to mostly resort to cross-border stand-off strikes, despite President Donald Trump’s claims of complete air superiority over Iran.
- 22:20 GMT
The Pentagon has yet to confirm the type of the second aircraft involved in the “incident” over Iraq. According to CBS News, flight tracking data suggests that a KC-135 tanker had declared an emergency and landed in Tel Aviv earlier on Thursday.
- 22:13 GMT
The status of the crew of the crashed Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker remains unknown, according to CBS News. The Pentagon only said that “rescue efforts are ongoing.”
- 21:53 GMT
A US Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft has crashed in western Iraq during the ongoing Operation Epic Fury against Iran, US Central Command has announced, stating that the incident was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
The US Department of War said two aircraft were involved in the incident. One went down in “friendly airspace,” while the second landed safely. No further details on the condition of the crew have been released.
The KC-135 is an aerial refueling tanker aircraft that has been a staple of the US Air Force for decades, providing mid-air refueling support to US strategic bombers during both the ongoing campaign and last year’s strikes on Iran.
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. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
- 21:34 GMT
Six French soldiers were reportedly wounded in a strike targeting a Peshmerga base in the Makhmour district of Iraq, which hosts US-led coalition forces, according to Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw. Paris has yet to comment on the reports.
Local outlet Sabereen News shared several videos purportedly showing the base on fire following the attack.
“This is all the movement of the terrorist militias in Iraq and we reiterate that the Iraqi government [is] not taking it seriously,” Xoshnaw stated, as cited by The New Region. “If these outlaws are part of the Iraqi government, then they are responsible. If they are not, then their security apparatus has a duty [to rein] these groups in.”
Attacks by Tehran-aligned militias in the region have intensified following US and Israeli strikes against Iran. The incident follows a similar attack on Wednesday night, when an Italian military site in Erbil was targeted. No casualties were reported in that strike.
- 20:57 GMT
The Israeli PM revealed he has spoken with US President Donald Trump nearly every day throughout the war. Netanyahu echoed Trump’s assessment that the campaign has been going better than expected.
“Iran is no longer the same Iran,” he stated.
- 20:42 GMT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held his first press conference since the war started on February 28, reiterating his call on Iranians to topple their country’s government. West Jerusalem can only create the “conditions” for a “regime change,” while “at the end of the day, it depends on you. It is in your hands,” he told Iranians.
Asked about Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and the head of Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Netanyahu appeared to have reiterated his death threats, stating he would not take out any “life insurance” on them.
- 19:44 GMT
Hezbollah has released footage depicting its fighters launching kamikaze drones and firing missiles at Israel.
The Lebanese Shiite militant group has intensified its strikes on Israel in recent days in a show of solidarity with Iran.
- 19:42 GMT
US sailors have been injured in a fire aboard an aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is supporting the Iran war. The fire originated in one of the ship’s laundry spaces, and the cause was “not combat-related and is contained,” the US Naval Forces Central Command reported on Thursday. While the warship’s propulsion plant was not damaged, two crew members suffered “non-life-threatening” injuries, the US military reported in a statement on X.
The strike group led by USS Gerald R. Ford is currently operating in the Red Sea in a support capacity for the strikes on Iran, according to the statement.
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11 March 2026
21:40 GMT
“Over the past 11 days, our military has virtually destroyed Iran,” President Donald Trump told a rally in Hebron, Kentucky. “We don’t wanna leave early, do we? We gotta finish the job!”
- 22:01 GMT
The IRGC has published footage showing ballistic missiles soaring into the sky as it launched a new wave of attacks – in coordination with Lebanon’s Hezbollah – against Israel and US military assets in the region.
- 22:40 GMT
An oil tanker has reportedly been hit by a drone in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Basra, Iraq, according to local channels. Videos shared online show massive bursts of fire engulfing an unknown vessel.
Massive oil tanker fire reported in the northern Persian Gulf tonight after an Iranian attack. pic.twitter.com/gEmg4s1Plc
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 11, 2026
- 22:47 GMT
A second oil tanker is reportedly on fire in the northern Persian Gulf near the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq’s Basra province. Footage shared by witnesses shows the vessel engulfed in flames and leaking burning oil.
Additional footage of the two oil tankers struck by Iran in the northern Persian Gulf tonight, both reportedly loaded with Iraqi oil.The tankers have been completely engulfed in flame, and are leaking burning oil. pic.twitter.com/wX2sNYZXuB
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 11, 2026
- 22:57 GMT
The IDF has announced yet another “wide-scale wave of strikes in Tehran,” just hours after the IRGC launched its own retaliatory strikes on Israel in coordination with Hezbollah.
- 23:08 GMT
Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil have come under “unidentified attacks” and been set on fire inside Iraqi territorial waters, a port official told Reuters.
- 23:09 GMT
The crew has been safely evacuated from at least one of the distressed vessels off Iraq, according to monitors and videos of the rescue operation.
- 23:23 GMT
The IRGC has claimed full control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and has vowed to continue its attacks on US military bases in the Middle East.
“The Strait of Hormuz is under constant surveillance by our forces. Our enemies have no right to pass through it, and our attacks will continue broadly using missiles and drones,” said IRGC spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari.
“A large number of American forces have been killed and wounded in attacks on US bases,” he added. The Pentagon has confirmed that only seven US service members have died and approximately 140 have been wounded during the conflict with Iran so far.
- 23:41 GMT
A suspected Iranian drone struck a high-rise building in Dubai, UAE, shortly after residents received emergency alerts on their cell phones urging them to seek shelter in the nearest secure building and stay away from windows.
“Civil Defence teams have brought a minor fire in the building under control. No injuries have been reported so far,” Dubai Media Office said in a post on X.
Authorities have fully brought the fire under control, and all residents are safe. No injuries have been reported. pic.twitter.com/0WTqLurwPX
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 11, 2026
- 23:56 GMT
The IDF says it has launched a major aerial campaign against Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon, with ground troops guiding airstrikes that dismantled dozens of launchers ready to fire and killed numerous Hezbollah operatives.
Within a 30-minute window, the IDF allegedly struck 10 “terror structures” in the Dahieh area of Beirut, targeting intelligence headquarters, a Radwan unit command center, and other military facilities. The IDF says it is acting in response to Hezbollah’s decision to “deliberately attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian regime.”
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