Iran War and U.S. Casualties

After a KC‑135 tanker crash on March 18 that killed six U.S. airmen — a crash U.S. Central Command says followed an unspecified incident between two aircraft in friendly Iraqi airspace and was not caused by hostile or friendly fire — the Pentagon says AH‑64 Apache helicopters have been striking Iran‑aligned militia groups in Iraq to suppress any threats to U.S. forces or interests. President Trump attended a closed dignified transfer at Dover for the fallen airmen, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who met with families and vowed “we will finish this,” framed the U.S. response as pursuing any Iranian platforms that could harm Americans and preventing a nuclear Iran; the broader Operation Epic Fury toll is now at least 13 dead and about 200 wounded.