Baghdad: Iran claimed Friday that a US refueling aircraft was shot down in western Iraq, killing its crew. Iranian state television, citing a spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the aircraft was struck by missiles fired by 'resistance factions,' causing it to crash. The spokesman stated that the aircraft belonged to the US military and that all crew members were killed, according to the report.

According to Anadolu Agency, on Thursday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that a KC-135 refueling aircraft had been lost over Iraq during an operation against Iran. In a statement, CENTCOM reported that the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, adding that two aircraft were involved in the incident. One aircraft went down in western Iraq, while the second landed safely, the command said, noting that rescue efforts were ongoing.