A United States Air Force KC-135 tanker crashed in western Iraq on Thursday during "Operation Epic Fury," part of the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran. Rescue efforts are actively underway for at least five crew members reported to be aboard the aircraft.

US Central Command confirmed the incident involved two aircraft, with one described as "a loss," while the second KC-135 landed safely.

The military clarified that the crash occurred in friendly airspace and was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

This marks the fourth US aircraft lost since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.

A previous friendly fire incident last week saw three American F-15 fighter jets mistakenly downed by Kuwaiti air defenses.

On Wednesday, a French soldier was killed in a drone attack on a joint base in Iraqi Kurdistan, specifically in the Makhmour area shared with Kurdistan's Peshmerga forces.

This strike involved two drones, injured five other French troops, and marked the first French military death in the war.

Simultaneously, Iranian drone attacks targeted a British Special Forces base in Erbil, northern Iraq, which were repelled using the UK's Martlet missile system. While there were no British casualties, some US service personnel were wounded in the attack.

Defence Secretary John Healey attributed the strikes to the "hidden hand" of Vladimir Putin, suggesting Russian influence in directing Iranian tactics and capabilities.

Governor of Erbil Omed Koshnaw condemned the actions of "terrorist militias," calling on the Iraqi government to address these groups.

The wider US-Israel conflict with Iran is now in its third week, with seven US troops killed in combat and approximately 140 to 150 service members wounded. Iran's UN ambassador reported over 1,300 Iranian deaths since hostilities began.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly wounded in an Israeli strike that also killed family members, vowed vengeance for Iranian casualties.

Meanwhile, Israeli armed forces have commenced multiple waves of strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon, with hundreds killed and around a million displaced.

Concerns persist regarding the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran warning nations allied with the "aggression" not to expect safe passage.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed an "international coalition" to escort oil tankers through the vital waterway.

The conflict has driven global oil prices from $60 to over $100 a barrel, providing a significant financial windfall for Russia amidst its illegal occupation of Ukraine. Donald Trump commented that the war is moving "very rapidly," describing Iran as a "nation of terror and hate" paying a "big price."

In an unrelated development, a gunman drove a truck carrying explosives into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday. The vehicle caught fire after igniting upon impact, and the armed man was found dead inside, with no other fatalities reported.