Six U.S. service members killed in Iraq plane crash: Middle East conflict on 13 March

Six U.S. service members killed in Iraq plane crash: Middle East conflict on 13 March
Fire ignited at the impact site following an Iranian missile strike, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in central Israel March 13, 2026.
Reuters

All six U.S. service members aboard a plane that crashed in western on Iraq on Thursday have died, the U.S. military confirmed on Friday (13 March). Meanwhile, one French soldier was killed in a drone attack in the Erbil region of northern Iraq, President Emmanuel Macron announced.

U.S. and French army deaths in Iraq 

The U.S. military confirmed on Friday that all six service members aboard a military refuelling plane that crashed in western Iraq on Thursday had died. Earlier, the U.S. military said the incident involved another aircraft, but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. 

Elsewhere, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned an attack on soldiers providing counterterrorism training in Erbil, northern Iraq. One officer was killed in the drone strike on Thursday, while several others were wounded. 

Iran verbally attacks U.N. Security Council 

Tehran has reacted angrily to a UN Security Council resolution condemning attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East. 

“The UNSC resolution on Iran is ultra vires and utterly unlawful; nothing can override a nation’s inherent right to self-defence,” the state IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei as saying on Thursday.

The U.S. has used military bases in neighbouring countries in the Middle East to launch strikes on Iran.

Third ballistic missile fired at Türkiye

The Turkish Defence Ministry said that another ballistic missile heading towards the country had been destroyed by NATO air and defence systems on Friday.

Two previous missiles heading towards Türkiye were intercepted and neutralised on 4 March and 9 March respectively. Following the previous two interceptions, the Iranian military denied it had launched any missiles towards Türkiye. 

Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors to return from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a U.S. submarine attack on a warship off the Sri Lankan coast last week will be flown home on Friday (13 March). 

The seamen were among 130 aboard Iranian Navy ship, Iris Dena, when it was sunk by a U.S. submarine on 4 March.

F1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia set to be cancelled 

Next month's Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Formula One Grand Prix races are due to be cancelled over the weekend, due to the conflict in the Middle East. Multiple sources told Reuters that an announcement was expected by Monday (16 March) at the latest.

Iranian drones have hit Gulf capitals, including Manama in Bahrain, where teams and spectators would be staying in hotels. 

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