[Salon] U.S. Air Force Refueling Plane Crashes in Iraq

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/us-israel-iran-war-2026

U.S. Air Force Refueling Plane Crashes in Iraq

Bessent says the U.S. is planning for the Navy to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz

A U.S. KC-135 fuel tanker crashed in western Iraq. Rescue operations are under way and the U.S. military didn’t say whether airmen were killed or wounded.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is planning for the Navy to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz when conditions allow, possibly with international partners. Iran’s new supreme leader earlier said his country would keep the vital oil route closed. A number of ships have been attacked in and near the strait.

In his first official message since taking over from his slain father, Mojtaba Khamenei also raised the possibility of opening new fronts in a war the International Energy Agency said is causing the biggest-ever disruption to oil supply. The U.S. said it has ramped up its attacks on Iranian minelayers and mine facilities.

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said he wasn’t sure if Iranians would be able to topple the Islamic Republic.

U.S. senators, including Republicans, expressed concern about the war's impact on oil prices and about a deadly strike at a girls’ school in Iran.

U.S. crude oil rose 9.7% to $95.73 a barrel, and global benchmark Brent crude closed at $100.46.

Kuwait said drones had targeted an airport and that its air-defenses had intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles.

The Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah fired shells toward Syrian military positions, sparking concern of a new front.