The United States lost or had damaged at least 42 military aircraft during its war with Iran, according to a report prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for Congress — a toll that complicates Washington’s portrayal of Operation Epic Fury as a swift and decisive campaign.
The losses span some of America’s most advanced platforms: four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, one A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling planes, one E-3 Sentry AWACS surveillance aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone. The CRS noted the figure could rise further, citing classification restrictions, ongoing combat activity and unresolved attribution of certain losses.
The report is notable because the Pentagon has not published a full official accounting of combat losses. Congressional researchers compiled the figures from Pentagon statements, CENTCOM briefings and media reports.
The financial cost has climbed sharply alongside the hardware losses. Pentagon finance chief Jules Hurst III told a May 12 congressional hearing that operational costs under Operation Epic Fury had already reached nearly $29 billion. “A lot of that increase comes from having a refined estimate on repair or replacement costs for equipment,” he said.
The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran targeting military infrastructure, missile production facilities and senior leadership. The opening phase killed multiple senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi moved quickly to amplify the CRS findings, posting the report on X. “Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions,” he wrote, claiming the results confirmed that Iranian forces were “first to strike down a touted F-35.” He warned that any resumption of US military action would bring “many more surprises.”
The potential loss of an F-35A carries particular weight. The stealth aircraft is among the most capable in the US inventory and has long been central to American claims of air dominance. Military analysts have pointed to the broader pattern the losses reveal: that layered air-defence systems, drones, electronic warfare and long-range missiles can impose severe costs on even the most technologically advanced air forces in a prolonged regional conflict.
A fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran remains in place, though its durability is uncertain. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that fresh strikes remain possible if nuclear negotiations fail, while Tehran has continued to frame the war as evidence that it can withstand sustained Western military pressure.
