Plane crash in Iraq kills six U. S. crew

The United States military announced that a KC‑135 refueling plane crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members. The incident was reported by U. S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which confirmed that the loss was not caused by enemy fire or friendly fire. The crash comes amid a two‑week conflict with Iran, during which U. S. forces have suffered several casualties. Meanwhile, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that U. S. ‑Israeli strikes have damaged more than 15, 000 Iranian targets and harmed the new supreme leader. Trump said the U. S. is “totally destroying” Iran’s regime, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the people of Iran must ultimately overthrow their leaders. Reports from health officials in Iran, Lebanon and Israel indicate over 1, 300 people have died in Iran, 773 in Lebanon, and 12 civilians plus two Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. The U. S. military’s death toll now stands at 13, with eight service members severely wounded.The fighting has displaced millions. A senior regional official expects the war to continue for at least another week and cautions that a unilateral end could lead to a new pattern of intermittent attacks, leaving Israelis in a “war routine. ” Israel has launched more than 200 strikes on Iranian sites and hit Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, including a key bridge over the Litani River. Iran fired a ballistic missile at northern Israel, wounding several people, and Hezbollah continued rocket fire. In related news, the U. S. temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil already in transit to stabilize markets, a move criticized by Senate Democrats. A French soldier was also killed in an attack on the Irbil region of Iraq, prompting President Macron to condemn the assault and emphasize that Iran’s war should not justify attacks on French forces in Iraq.