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All 6 U.S. crew are dead after a military aircraft goes down in Iraq

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All 6 U.S. crew are dead after a military aircraft goes down in Iraq

People inspect the site of a destroyed branch of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a non-bank financial institution run by Hezbollah, which was hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut on Thursday.

Hussein Malla/AP


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Hussein Malla/AP

The U.S. military said on Friday that all six crew members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in Iraq, raising the death toll after two weeks of war with Iran.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the Middle East, reported an unspecified incident involving two aircraft Thursday. It said the U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft was lost in western Iraq, while the other landed safely. It is investigating the circumstances but confirmed the “loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

The news came as President Trump and his defense secretary touted success in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran but complained about negative media coverage of Operation Epic Fury.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes have hit more than 15,000 targets and injured the new Iranian supreme leader.

President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the U.S. is “totally destroying” Iran’s regime, militarily and economically.

Late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had weakened Iran’s rulers, but it may not be enough to topple them — the Iranian people would have to do that.

Iranian and Lebanese health officials and Israeli authorities reported more than 1,300 people killed in Iran, 773 people in Lebanon and 12 civilians in Israel, as well as two Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon. Wednesday’s aircraft crash over Iraq brings the U.S. military death toll to 13, seven of whom were killed in combat. Eight U.S. service members are severely injured, according to the Pentagon.

The humanitarian toll also deepened as the total number of people displaced by the fighting in Iran and Lebanon reached into the millions.

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Here are further updates about the conflict.

Officials brace for an end without a deal — and the risk of a “war routine”

A senior official in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations, told NPR they expected the war to last at least another week, and that Israeli leaders increasingly believe the U.S. and Israel will end the war unilaterally, without a negotiated agreement. In such a scenario, the official said, Iran and allied groups, including the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Houthi rebels in Yemen, could establish a new normal of intermittent fire at Israel, prompting repeated Israeli retaliation.

The official said that kind of tit-for-tat exchange would leave Israelis living with an intolerable “war routine” even if the intensity of the conflict fades.

The official also said Israel is not ruling out an expanded ground operation in southern Lebanon, but described Israel as holding back so far from striking broad civilian infrastructure, largely because the U.S. sees Lebanon as a partner.

— Daniel Estrin, Carrie Kahn

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Israel expands strikes in Iran and hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Israel’s air force said Friday it struck more than 200 targets over the past day in western and central Iran, including ballistic missile launchers, air defense systems and weapons manufacturing sites.

The military said the strikes included simultaneous strikes in Tehran, Shiraz and Ahvaz. They targeted regime infrastructure, including an underground site used to produce and store ballistic missiles, as well as a central air-defense base.

In Lebanon, Israel said it hit Hezbollah command centers in the country’s south and in central Beirut.

A senior official in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the strike on Beirut’s bustling Bachura neighborhood, located near the prime minister’s office, was symbolic, and meant to send a message that Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s fire much longer.

Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, has called for direct talks with Israel to end the bombing. Israel has not responded publicly on the matter.

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The Israeli military also said it struck the Al-Zrariya Bridge over the Litani River, describing it as a key crossing used by Hezbollah fighters and an area from which launchers had been positioned.

— Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Rebecca Rosman

Iran and Hezbollah attacks hit Israel overnight; dozens treated for minor injuries

An Iranian ballistic missile in the northern Israeli town of Zarzir left dozens lightly wounded, according to Israel’s emergency services organization, Magen David Adom.

One person was reported to be in moderate condition and was being treated after being hit with shrapnel. Another 57 people were being treated for minor injuries, mostly from glass shards.

Hezbollah also continued firing into northern Israel overnight, and Israel’s military said its air defense and strike operations were responding across both fronts.

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— Rebecca Rosman

U.S. temporarily eases Russian oil sanctions for cargoes already at sea

The Trump administration issued a temporary authorization allowing countries to purchase Russian oil already stranded at sea. It argued the move is a narrowly tailored step to stabilize energy markets.

In a post on X, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measure applies only to oil “already in transit” and will not provide significant financial benefit to Russia.

In a statement published last week, a number of top Senate Democrats warned such a move would weaken sanctions and benefit Russia as energy prices rise.

— Rebecca Rosman

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French soldier killed in attack in Iraq

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday a French soldier was killed in an attack in the Irbil region of Iraq that left several other French soldiers wounded.

Macron called the attack “unacceptable” and said the war in Iran cannot justify strikes on forces deployed in Iraq as part of the fight against ISIS.

Since the start of the war with Iran, the French president has underlined his concerns about international law not being respected, but also deployed several naval vessels to the Eastern Mediterranean, near Cyprus, to protect French military bases and citizens in the region. French officials have insisted it is a defensive, rather than an offensive mission.

— Eleanor Beardsley

Daniel Estrin and Carrie Kahn contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Hadeel Al-Shalchi contributed from Beirut, Jane Arraf from Irbil, Rebecca Rosman and Eleanor Beardsley from Paris.

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Video: Welcome to the Neighborhood. It’s Sinking.

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Video: Welcome to the Neighborhood. It’s Sinking.

“OK, don’t step into the actual fissure. We don’t actually know how deep it goes.” In 2024, Eilen Stewart bought a house on a landslide. “Honestly, we’re priced out of a lot of the L.A. area. So when we saw this house in this amazing neighborhood — it’s safe. It’s beautiful. It’s got amazing school districts. I mean, it just seemed like this house is half the price that it should be. Of course, that’s when we figured out that there’s a reason that the house is this price.” Land here was moving as much as a foot per week around that time. But this house seemed OK, so Eilen and her husband went for it, paying $1.3 million, a deal for coastal Palos Verdes, Calif. “We knew there was a landslide, but we made a calculated risk. And we’ll see if it pays off or not.” Parts of Palos Verdes have been inching towards the sea for decades, but heavy rainfall in recent years accelerated the landslide, cracking foundations and destroying homes. “This is probably one of the largest active landslides with homes on it in the entire United States, if not the world. It’s almost like a giant raft that’s moving on this real slippery layer at depth.” “The movement has always been here. It’s just been at an acceptable level. But once anything has started moving, it’s very, very difficult to stop.” “For longtime residents like Tim Kelly, who bought his home here in 1994, leaving would mean a massive financial hit. Landslides generally aren’t covered by insurance. “So prior to the landslide, my house was — based on Zillow and Redfin and all those — was at approximately $2.1 million. It’s been reassessed on the L.A. County tax rolls at $129,000. All right, guys. 7:01, we’re late. We’re late.” With little choice but to stay put and a deep love for their neighborhood, Tim and a crew of dedicated neighbors are trying to slow down the landslide by drying it out. Every morning, they fire up generators for wells that pump water out of the ground. “Putting in de-watering wells is one of the primary approaches to slow the slide down. And we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in movement as a result of taking those measures. In some areas, we’ve reduced the movement by almost 90 percent at its peak.” Last winter was also less rainy than the two before, another factor. Gas and electricity were cut off to many in 2024, and residents have had to go off grid. Some families have left altogether for safety reasons. Nearly two years later, 172 homes are still disconnected from grid power, including Eilen’s. Her land has also moved a lot since she moved in. “When we first moved in, you could see maybe this much of the ocean. It was kind of a little tiny sliver. But all of those homes that are in front of us sunk down a good 10 feet. And part of the silver lining is that we have a much better view now.” Eilen estimates she spent about $200,000 on landslide-related fixes, including picking up the house, placing it on steel beams and moving it away from the slide. But all of this might just be delaying the inevitable. “You’re fighting nature, and what we see is that nature is changing with climate change and maybe more rainfall occurring in the future. We do have means and methods to tackle that. It’s just very expensive.” As of June this year, Palos Verdes will have spent about $65 million on landslide mitigation since 2022. Its entire annual city budget is about $40 million. “We’re aggressively trying to get money from the state and federal government to be able to solve the problem and implement the solutions that we have. But we need more to keep going.” At least 11 homes have sold in the landslide zone since 2024. Last summer, the city banned future new construction here. But anybody is still free to move in. “It’s buyer beware, right, because you’re coming into an area that the land is going to be moving forever. But if they want to then it’s their choice.” “If the house slid down the hill tomorrow, what would you do?” “I would put up a tent in that backyard and still live here.”

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Video: F.B.I. Investigating Synagogue Attack as ‘Targeted Act of Violence’

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Video: F.B.I. Investigating Synagogue Attack as ‘Targeted Act of Violence’

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F.B.I. Investigating Synagogue Attack as ‘Targeted Act of Violence’

A driver rammed a vehicle into a synagogue outside Detroit on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the attacker’s motive.

“He breached the building, drove down the hall, and he was engaged by security. We can’t say what killed him at this point, but security did engage the suspect with gunfire. No kids or no staff was injured whatsoever, OK. So we have no victims other than one of the lead security people, was hit by the car and was taken to the hospital for treatment. That individual should be OK.” “I can confirm that we are leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”

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A driver rammed a vehicle into a synagogue outside Detroit on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the attacker’s motive.

By Jackeline Luna

March 12, 2026

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Middle East crisis live: rescue effort under way after US refuelling plane with five onboard crashes in Iraq

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Middle East crisis live: rescue effort under way after US refuelling plane with five onboard crashes in Iraq

Welcome summary

Hello and welcome to our ongoing live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the impact it is having on the region and the global economy.

Here are the latest developments:

  • US Central Command said it was carrying out rescue efforts after it lost a military refuelling aircraft in “friendly airspace” in Iraq, while saying neither hostile or friendly fire were to blame. A statement said “rescue efforts are ongoing” after an incident involving two planes, the second of which landed safely.

  • The KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members onboard, according to US official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. US central command said the crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.

  • Israel launched fresh strikes on Tehran and Beirut.

People at damaged buildings in Tehran, Iran, on Thursday. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock
  • Donald Trump said his war on Iran was “moving along very rapidly” and “doing very well”. He called Iran “a nation of terror and hate” and said it was “paying a big price right now”.

  • Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a veiled threat to kill Iran’s new supreme leader, saying he “wouldn’t take out life insurance policies” on Iran’s new ayatollah or the leader of Hezbollah. Using his first press conference since the start of the war to defend his joint military assault with the US against Iran, he said Israel aimed to stop Iran from moving its nuclear and ballistic projects underground, and that some Israeli strikes had killed top Iranian nuclear scientists.

  • The US Navy, perhaps with an international coalition, will escort vessels through the strait of Hormuz when it is militarily possible, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News. The plan to escort ships would go ahead as soon as the US has “complete control of the skies and … [Iran’s] rebuilding capabilities for the missiles completely degraded,” he said.

  • French president Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier had been killed in an attack in Erbil in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region – marking the first French military death of the war. Several other soldiers were wounded, he said. The French army said earlier that French soldiers had been engaged in training with Iraqi partners during the drone attack in the region.

  • Trump said the Iranian national football team was “welcome” to participate at this summer’s World Cup but added: “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.” The US president didn’t elaborate on the nature of the risk at the Cup, which is taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico.

  • A base housing UK and US forces and also in Erbil, northern Iraq, came under attack from an Iranian drone last night but there were no significant injuries and all American soldiers stationed there remained on duty, a US defence official told BBC News. No British soldiers were injured in the attack either, the broadcaster understood.

  • A ballistic missile fired from Iran hit an open area in central Israel, causing no injuries, the Israeli military’s home front command said, as quoted by Haaretz.

  • Saudi Arabia’s defence forces said it intercepted a drone heading towards the Shaybah oil field – an area drones have been targeting regularly this week – as well as a ballistic missile and three drones launched towards the country’s eastern region.

  • Qatar’s defence ministry said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and multiple drones launched from Iran.

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Russia’s economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev has the global energy market “cannot remain stable” without his country’s oil.

His comments came after the US said it would temporarily allow the sale of Russian oil that is at sea, as energy prices soared after US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Dmitriev posted on Telegram:

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double quotation markThe United States is effectively acknowledging the obvious: without Russian oil, the global energy market cannot remain stable.

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