US Military Charter Plane Makes Forced Landing in Iran

A commercial aircraft chartered by the US-led military in Afghanistan was re-routed to Iran today and forced to land there in a mix-up over its flight plan, US officials say. The plane was carrying military contractors, some of whom were American, CNN reports. The plane was flying from Bagram airfield north of Kabul to Dubai. The normal flight path goes through Iranian airspace, but an official says Iranians radioed the plane's crew to say they did not have the proper paperwork and to return to Bagram. The pilots said they did not have enough fuel to return so the Iranian authorities told them to land in Iran. A senior State Department official says the issue appears to have been resolved and the plane is expected to take off again this afternoon. (More plane stories.)