On March 12, the Pentagon confirmed that a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft of the US Air Force "lost contact" and crashed in the airspace considered safe in Iraq, forcing the US military to deploy an emergency search and rescue operation.
According to the US Department of Defense, the incident was not related to "hostile fire or confusion of alliances", although the time of the accident coincided with the most tense period of the military campaign against Iran called Operation Epic Fury.
The downing of the refueling plane marks the 4th loss of a US manned aircraft in just 13 days since the Iran war began.
Some sources from pro-Iranian militia forces said that US special forces units and Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters were deployed to participate in the rescue operation.
While Washington denies the possibility of being shot down by the enemy, Iranian media has released a completely different version. Some Tehran news agencies claim that pro-Iranian militia forces in Iraq shot down the KC-135.
Previously, 3 F-15E Strike Eagle fighters were shot down over Kuwait in an incident described by the Pentagon as "friendly firepower". Initial analysis suggests that the aircraft may have been mistakenly aimed by an allied F/A-18 Hornet fighter.
On the same day as the plane crash, pro-Teheran armed groups are believed to have attacked a base of Kurdish forces in Iraq, injuring 6 French soldiers.
The regional situation continued to escalate when Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, first appeared in public and declared that Iran would force the US and Israel to "compensate for war".
He warned that if this request is rejected, Iran could "contract or destroy the property of the aggressor".
One of the biggest hotspots today is the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy transport route. Tehran affirmed that this strait will continue to be blockaded, causing the global oil market to react strongly immediately.
Brent oil prices have surpassed the 100 USD/barrel mark as the risk of supply disruption is increasingly apparent.
Across the Middle East, attacks also occurred continuously. Two oil tankers were hit by bullets near Iraq's Umm Qasr port. In Oman, Salalah port burned overnight after a series of attacks, while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain reported that oil and gas facilities were attacked.
In Lebanon, the Israeli army intensified airstrikes after Hezbollah forces in coordination with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard launched retaliatory attacks. A refugee camp near Beirut was bombed, bringing the total number of deaths in Lebanon to more than 600.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump declared that Iran has been "almost completely destroyed", but affirmed that the military campaign will not end soon.
Despite declaring complete control of Iranian airspace, the US still suffered heavy losses. In addition to 4 manned aircraft, Washington also confirmed that at least 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones were lost in Iranian airspace.
