WSJ What’s News
WSJ What’s News

Four U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq Plane Crash

March 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Four U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq Plane Crash

The first U.S. Air Force losses of the war were confirmed Friday after a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling plane crashed in Iraq, killing four service members. Initial reports suggest a mid-air collision with a second plane that landed safely. The crash came as President Trump and Iranian officials escalated their war rhetoric, with Trump posting on Truth Social that the U.S. has "unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time" and calling Iranian leaders "deranged scumbags." Iran's National Security Official Ali Larijani responded: "Starting a war is easy, but ending it won't happen with a few tweets. We will not let off you until you accept your mistake and pay the price for it."

Israel Shifts Tone on Regime Change

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:33) **U.S. and Iran Escalate War Rhetoric** - President Trump and Iranian officials trade threats as the conflict approaches the two-week mark.
  • 2 (01:17) **U.S. Eases Sanctions on Russian Oil** - Treasury Secretary Besson says the exemption is a "narrowly tailored short term measure" to keep oil prices low.
  • 3 (02:17) **Four U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq Plane Crash** - A KC-135 refueling tanker crashed after a suspected mid-air collision; the other plane landed safely.
  • 4 (02:44) **Trump and Iran Trade Threats** - Trump warns of "unlimited ammunition" and "plenty of time"; Iran says ending the war "won't happen with a few tweets."
  • 5 (03:22) **Israel Shifts Tone on Iran Regime Change** - For the first time, Israel publicly acknowledges that toppling the regime may be unlikely.
  • 6 (05:37) **Market and Economic Roundup** - The dollar strengthens; the euro hits a seven-month low; the UK economy stalled in January.
  • 7 (05:59) **Apple Lowers Chinese App Store Fees** - Apple cuts its commission from 30% to 25% to defuse a regulatory showdown in its top overseas market.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Show Notes

A.M. Edition for Mar. 13. The U.S. military confirms that four U.S. servicemembers were killed yesterday when a refueling plane crashed in Iraq. The deaths mark the first U.S. Air Force losses since the start of the war. Plus, TikTok parent company ByteDance secures access to top Nvidia chips in its bid to compete with the world’s most popular AI apps. And WSJ’s Jennifer Williams explains how U.S. employers plan to cope with the biggest annual jump in health-insurance costs in 15 years. Luke Vargas hosts.


Check out what WSJ critics had to say about this year’s Best Picture nominees


Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ What’s News

More from this podcast

WSJ What’s News →