Iraqi militias loyal to the Iranian regime claimed that they shot down a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker over western Iraq on March 12. The US military has confirmed that the tanker crashed but stated that it was not brought down via “hostile fire.” The aircraft was used to refuel strike aircraft entering and exiting Iranian airspace during Operation Epic Fury.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on March 12 that two KC-135 refueling aircraft were involved in an incident over Iraq. “One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely,” CENTCOM stated in its press release. “This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Six service members were killed on the KC-135 that crashed in western Iraq. The other Stratotanker landed at an Israeli airport. American aircraft have been operating over Iraqi airspace as part of Operation Epic Fury targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq. The KC-135s are likely refueling Israeli aircraft that are striking Iranian regime targets in northern and central Iran.
Despite CENTCOM stating that the aircraft was not shot down, Iraqi militias claimed involvement in the incident.
“In defense of the sovereignty of our country and its airspace, which has been violated by the aircraft of the occupation forces, the mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have shot down a KC-135 aircraft belonging to the American occupation in western Iraq, using the appropriate weaponry,” the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella front-group under which major Iran-backed, US-designated terror groups claim attacks, said. Shortly after the initial statement, the group added that it targeted a second KC-135 that it claimed was hit but managed to land at “one of the enemy’s airports.”
The IRI was established in 2020 to serve as a clearinghouse for smaller Iran-backed militias, which themselves are offshoots or fronts of more established, larger militias such as the Hezbollah Brigades, Asaib Ahl-al Haq, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada. Many of these groups are listed by the US as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or Specially Designated Global Terrorist entities. The IRI banner adds another layer of plausible deniability for Iran, which directs and supports these proxy militias behind the scenes.
The IRI did not provide additional information on its purported operation, such as weapons systems used, nor did it provide evidence, such as video, of these claimed attacks. It is unlikely the IRI was able to shoot down the KC-135, which typically refuels aircraft at altitudes between 20,000 and 30,000 feet. The militias are not known to possess the sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems that are needed to reach these heights. It would be more likely that the Iranians would provide the IRI with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, which have a maximum ceiling of 15,000 feet.
The IRI has been issuing daily statements claiming a dozen or more attacks which have employed “dozens of drones and missiles” against the US and its allies in Iraq. On March 10, the IRI is alleged to have conducted 291 operations to date, claiming to have killed 13 Americans and injured dozens more. However, no Americans have been reported killed or wounded in militia attacks inside Iraq.
Numerous attacks from Iraqi militias have targeted American bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, sites elsewhere in Iraq that have historically hosted US troops, the US diplomatic presence in the country, and other assets since February 28. However, the claimed number of operations is not confirmed.
Bill Roggio is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the editor of FDD's Long War Journal. Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.
Tags: centcom, Iraq, Iraqi militias, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Operation Epic Fury, Shiite militias
