READ HERE: An Iranian-aligned Iraqi paramiltiary group, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has claimed responsibility for two successful surface-to-air attacks on U.S. Air Force KC-135 tankers that were overflying Iraqi airspace. This occurred as attacks on Western forces within Iraq, including U.S. and Italian military bases, have escalated as part of the ongoing U.S.-Iranian war. The U.S. Armed Forces Central Command confirmed the loss of a KC-135, attributing it to a technical issue, while the second KC-135 targeted managed to land in Israel after sustaining damage. It was later confirmed that four servicemen were killed on the destroyed aircraft, with a further two missing. With U.S. military bases in the gulf region having sustained extreme damage from Iranian strikes, U.S. combat aircraft have been forced to operate from bases further afield, increasing reliance on the KC-135 for refuelling support. Significant reliability issues with the KC-135’s successor, the KC-46, has been an additional factor, as have the relatively short ranges of U.S. and Israeli combat aircraft such as the F-16 and F-35.