NEW: Military Confirms 4 Dead After Air Force Tragedy In Iraq

Four U.S. Air Force crew members were killed when a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said Friday.

CENTCOM said a KC-135 Stratotanker carrying six service members went down in friendly airspace while supporting Operation Epic Fury. The military did not immediately release the names of the dead, saying identities would be withheld until 24 hours after next of kin are notified.

“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” CENTCOM said.

Two aircraft were involved in the incident, officials said. The second plane, also a KC-135, landed safely.

The conditions of the two surviving crew members were not immediately disclosed.

An Iran-backed group quickly tried to seize the narrative. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization for Tehran-aligned armed factions, claimed responsibility Thursday night, saying it shot down the tanker “in defense of our ⁠country’s sovereignty and ⁠airspace.”

CENTCOM’s statement directly contradicted that claim, emphasizing there was no hostile or friendly fire involved.

The crash pushes the U.S. military death toll to 11 since Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, according to figures released in recent days.

Six U.S. Army Reserve members were killed when Iran launched a drone strike on a U.S. base in Kuwait on Feb. 28. They were identified as Nicole Amor, 39; Cody Khork, 35; Declan Coady, 20; Robert Marzan, 54; Jeffrey O’Brien, 45; and Noah Tietjens, 42.

A seventh service member, Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, of the Army’s 1st Space Brigade, later died after being wounded in a retaliatory Iranian strike at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

RELATED: BREAKING: First U.S. Casualties Confirmed As Part Of Operation Epic Fury

The aircraft loss comes as the conflict grinds deeper into its second week. Operation Epic Fury hit its 13th day Friday, nearly two weeks after the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign began and targeted Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure.

President Donald Trump has said the operation is ahead of schedule and told world leaders this week that Iran is “about to surrender,” Axios reported.

RELATED: JUST IN: U.S. Military Aircraft Crashes In Iraq

“I got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all,” Trump said in a Wednesday call, according to the outlet.

Iran has elevated Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to fill his father’s role. But the new leader has not been seen publicly since the Feb. 28 strikes.

“Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender,” Trump told the leaders.

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