US military refuelling aircraft crashes in Iraq during Iran operation

PTI/AP, March 13, 2026, Washington : An American military refuelling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts were underway, the United States Central Command said on Thursday.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

A US official, who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.

The crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, the military said in a statement, which described the plane as “a loss”.

US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that two aircraft were involved and that one landed safely while the other went down in western Iraq.

A second US official, who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity, said the other plane involved also was a KC-135 tanker.

“More information will be made available as the situation develops,” Central Command said. “We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”

The tanker is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the US military’s operations against Iran.

Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly fire from Kuwait.

Netanyahu says there is ‘no life insurance’ for Iran’s supreme leader

PTI, March 13, 2026, Jerusalem: Asserting that the joint US-Israel campaign against Iran is “going better than expected” and Israel is “stronger than ever”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said there was “no life insurance” for Iran’s newly chosen Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Responding to a question about whether Israel would target Khamenei and Naim Qassem, Netanyahu said, “I wouldn't take out a life insurance policy on any of the leaders of the terror organisations.”

Asia shares fall and oil prices hover near $100 amid Iran war worries

AP, March 13, 2026, Hong Kong : Asia shares were mostly lower on Friday, tracking losses on Wall Street, while oil prices hovered around USD 100 a barrel as anxiety remained over the Iran war and its impact on supplies of crude oil and gas.

Iran war and fuel costs could boost Panama Canal traffic

AP, March 13, 2026, Panama City : Panama Canal Authority administrator Ricaurte Vásquez said the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel costs could ultimately benefit the Panama Canal as global shippers adjust routes.

“When costs increase, in general when the price of marine fuel rises, the Panama Canal becomes a more attractive route,” Vásquez said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Trump administration criticises CNN over Iranian leader broadcast

AP, March 13, 2026, Washington : The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing a portion of the new Iranian supreme leader’s public statement.

It was the second time in three days that the administration targeted the network for reporting on how the Iranian regime is responding to the American attacks.

The criticism highlighted the challenges news organisations face while reporting during wartime and the responsibility of journalists to report the perspectives of countries that their government views as adversaries.