The military campaign launched by the United States against Iran It’s already starting to show the wear and tear of a war of high intensity that has lasted several weeks, so the Operation Epic Fury of US President Donald Trump represents a huge expense for the US Government, which never agreed with the decision.
This is because the United States military campaign, coordinated with Israel and directed against Iranian targets, has included multiple aerial combats, various missile attacks and naval operations at different points of Middle Eastso that, after the ceasefire in April, the situation continues to be changing.
Faced with this scenario, a report by the United States Congressional Research Service (C.R.S.for its acronym in English) warns that costs of the war in the Middle East could increase due to the “continuity of the fightingthe classification of information and the difficulties in attributing some incidents” in Tehran.
Therefore, although the United States War Department headquarters has not yet published a balance complete loss official, the CRS recognized that the estimated cost of Operation Epic Fury against Iran already exceeds what was stipulated by the New York magnate, who did not consider the costs repair or replacement of equipment.
The impact of the War
The report from the United States Congressional Research Service (CRS) reveals that at least 42 US aircraft —manned and unmanned—have been destroyed or damaged since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East, last Saturday February 28 2026 in the city of Tehran, Iran.
Additionally, the CRS recognized that the estimated cost of Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East already amounts to US$29 billionbecause the losses include 24 drones MQ-9 Reaper, seven airplanes KC-135 tanker, an E-3 AWACS fighter plane and several types of fighters, military aircraft designed for aerial warfare.
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Given this situation, the CRS report represents the first government document that systematically quantifies those losses and, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, emerged amid a growing frustration in Congress over the Department of Defense’s evasion of confirming the scope of the damage suffered in combat.
“The 42 fixed or rotary wing aircraft, including unmanned aircraft and drones, reported as destroyed or damaged during the military operation against Iran, according to press reports and statements from the Department of Defense and the Central Command of the United States,” added the CRS in its latest report.
Affected aircraft
According to the CRS report, among the affected aircraft is a stealth fighter F-35A damaged by Iranian anti-aircraft fire during operations over Iranian territory. An attack plane was also lost A-10 Thunderbolt, shot down after receiving enemy hits during a support mission, although the pilot was recovered with life.
The CRS report also includes significant losses in the fleet of replenishment air, since two KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft were involved in an incident over airspace and one of them crashed in Iraqwhich caused the death of its six crew members, while the second made a landing of emergency.