Four US military crew members die after airforce refuelling plane crashes in Iraq

Sharing details of the incident, CENTCOM said the aircraft went down at around 2 pm ET on March 12.

“Four of the six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed dead as rescue efforts continue,” the statement said.

The circumstances surrounding the crash are currently under investigation.

“However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” CENTCOM added.

The identities of the deceased crew members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified, officials said.

Meanwhile, explosions were heard across central Tehran, Iran, on Friday as the country observed Quds Day.

Blasts were reported around Enghelab Square, Ferdowsi Square, and Hejab Street in the city centre, according to Iran International.

The blasts occured amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East following US-Israel-led strikes on Iran on February 28.

Separately, on Monday morning (March 16) in Geneva, the United Nations Human Rights Council will discuss the human rights situation in Iran, including a joint interactive dialogue with independent experts.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran will present their latest reports to member states.

The Fact-Finding Mission was established by the Council to investigate alleged human rights violations and gather evidence related to protests and government repression in the country. The Special Rapporteur, an independent expert appointed by the Council, is mandated to monitor, report on, and advise on human rights conditions in Iran.