Deadly storms and tornadoes hit the US states of Michigan and Oklahoma
Four people were killed and twelve injured as a tornado ripped through Union City, Michigan. Now, the neighborhood is coming together to pick up the debris.
Several U.S. officials tell the News that an American military aerial refueling tanker involved in the U.S. military campaign in Iran crashed in western Iraq on Thursday.
The downing of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was later confirmed by the US military. The deaths of all six crew members were verified by officials on Friday.
Despite damage, a second Stratotanker made a successful landing. According to an Iraqi intelligence source, the first aircraft crashed close to Turaibil, which is on the border between Iraq and Jordan.
A KC-135 tanker reported an emergency prior to landing in Tel Aviv on Thursday night, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
According to a statement issued by U.S. Central Command on Thursday afternoon, both aircraft were involved in the same incident and neither friendly nor hostile fire was the reason.
With the crash, 13 American service members have died since the war with Iran began.
As part of Operation Epic Fury, this is the fourth aircraft crash that has been made public. The U.S. military also verified last Monday that all six crew members successfully evacuated after three F-15E Strike Eagles were downed in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwait.
The crash's cause is not immediately known.
All six crew members on board the downed KC-135 have been officially declared deceased, according to the U.S. Central Command. Although the crash's causes are being looked into, it stated that the aircraft's demise was "not due to hostile or friendly fire."
The other aircraft involved was also a KC-135, according to a U.S. official who discussed the evolving situation under the condition of anonymity. The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, posted on X that the other aircraft touched down safely in Israel.
According to Yang, since these activities are often carried out in the rear of fighting zones, it would be uncommon for a refueling tanker to be destroyed by enemy fire.
The accident occurred after friendly Kuwaiti fire accidentally shot down three American F-15E fighter jets last week.
A long-serving tanker aircraft is the KC-135.
A U.S. Air Force aircraft known as the KC-135 Stratotanker is used to refuel other aircraft in midair, enabling them to fly farther and continue operations without landing. According to military analysts, the aircraft is also utilized for surveillance missions or to transport injured soldiers during medical evacuations.
Up to 150 US soldiers have been injured in the fighting, and 13 US soldiers have died. Iran's UN envoy claims that over 1,300 people had died there.
Both Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, and Donald Trump have stated that more American lives will likely be lost in the conflict before it is over.
According to a statement broadcast by a presenter on state television on Thursday, Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, promised to exact revenge on the Iranian victims in the fight.
According to some Iranian officials and state TV, Khamenei was injured in the Israeli strike that killed his father and other family members in the early stages of the conflict.
Parts of Tehran were damaged by US and Israeli strikes on Friday, according to Iran's Fars news agency, which also said that the explosions caused homes to tremble.
Iran launched a fresh round of missiles at Israel throughout the night, according to the Israeli military. Two persons were hurt in the country's north, according to emergency services.
Early on Friday, Israel persisted in its attacks on Beirut, threatening to increase its operations and take over land in Lebanon if the militant organization Hezbollah did not halt its assaults. The Israeli offensive against Hezbollah has resulted in hundreds of deaths and about a million displaced persons.
A U.S. Air Force aircraft known as the KC-135 Stratotanker is used to refuel other aircraft in midair, enabling them to fly farther and continue operations without landing. According to military analysts, the aircraft is also utilized for surveillance missions or to transport injured soldiers during medical evacuations.
According to an Air Force account, the tanker has been supplying the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps as well as ally aircraft for more than 60 years. It is based on the same design as the Boeing 707 passenger airliner. As more of the next-generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers come into service, the outdated aircraft will be phased out over time.
The age of the KC-135s has raised questions about their dependability and durability despite improvements over time.According to Yang Uk, a security specialist at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in South Korea, the last of these aircraft were manufactured in the 1960s. The switch to the KC-46A has gone more slowly than anticipated, he continued.
The Air Force possessed 376 KC-135s last year, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard, and 62 in the Air Force Reserve, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The pilot, co-pilot, and boom operator make up the typical KC-135 crew. Aeromedical evacuation operations include the addition of nurses and medical technicians.
The boom operator is usually located in the rear of the aircraft, where refueling takes place. To make contact with fighters, bombers, or other aircraft, a gasoline boom is lowered. The boom operator on many aircraft operates while lying face down and staring out of a window on the underbelly of the aircraft.
Additionally, some KC-135s have pods on their wings that allow them to refuel aircraft. If necessary, the tankers can also accommodate passengers or goods.
According to Yang, if the Iran war continues, refueling tankers may become more crucial because American planes may have to make longer flights in order to chase Iranian forces that are withdrawing farther inside the nation.
