At least 81 US aircraft worth up to $3.3bn lost or damaged in Iran war

What Happened

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan US government agency, reported on Monday that at least 81 United States military aircraft—including 12 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II jet, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, and 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones—have been lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the US military campaign against Iran that began on February 28. The CBO estimated the cost of those American aircraft losses during what it described as the US-Israeli war against Iran was between $1.9bn and $3.3bn as of August 1. The Pentagon said it had 'nothing further to provide' when asked by Al Jazeera whether the losses were expected and how they would affect the department's budget. The CBO also estimated in September that the war with Iran had cost roughly $38bn as of August 1, with each additional month costing $2bn, or $3bn if intensity matched July. The report comes amid political pressure: 45 Senate Democrats and one independent wrote an open letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding transparent accounting before further supplemental funding, citing $100bn in higher gas and diesel costs and $60bn in other higher costs for US taxpayers. Separately, rumours of a potential drone attack on RAF Fairford led to the sudden departure of a dozen US aircraft on Sunday, and former naval officer Harlan Ullman said Iran has managed to damage US military hardware and bases.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The losses illustrate the financial and material costs of the US-Iran conflict as it enters its eighth month without a ceasefire, and highlight the growing role of low-cost drones in damaging or displacing advanced US platforms. The report is feeding domestic political contestation over an unauthorized war of choice, with a record $1.5 trillion FY2027 defense request and midterm elections impending, while also suggesting Iran can impose costs on US forces despite conventional military asymmetry.

Watch For

Monitor whether Congress moves on the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion FY2027 defense request or any supplemental war funding, especially after the letter from 45 Senate Democrats and one independent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Watch for further CBO cost updates and Pentagon disclosures on aircraft losses, possible additional drone threats prompting relocations of US aircraft from bases such as RAF Fairford, and any impact on US midterm elections amid signs the war is widely unpopular among voters.