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A US official has rejected Iran’s claim and said no American aircraft was shot down in Bushehr.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 9, 2026. (Photo: AFP)
Iran’s air defence systems were activated late Thursday night in Iran’s southern Bushehr Province after what Iranian state media described as an aerial intrusion involving US aircraft. Iranian media claimed that American aircraft were destroyed during the incident. However, a US official told Reuters that no American aircraft was shot down in Bushehr.
This came hours after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly launched attacks on four vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, including ships allegedly linked to the United States.
Meanwhile, the US Department of the Treasury announced a fresh wave of sanctions targeting Iran’s military-linked oil trade and revenue networks, intensifying Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran.
US Losses In Iran Conflict
A new report by the Congressional Research Service has revealed the heavy military and financial losses suffered by the United States during the ongoing conflict with Iran, code-named Operation Epic Fury.
The report, published on May 13, said at least 42 American military aircraft have either been destroyed or damaged since joint US-Israeli strikes triggered the conflict on February 28, 2026. The overall cost of the military campaign has now surged to nearly $29 billion, according to testimony by Pentagon acting comptroller Jules Hurst, with a significant portion of the expenditure linked to replacing and repairing advanced combat platforms.
Unmanned aerial systems accounted for the bulk of the losses. The US military reportedly lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones during intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations over heavily defended Iranian territory. With each MQ-9 Reaper valued at roughly $30 million, the drone losses alone are estimated to have cost more than $720 million.
The report also noted the loss of an MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone, which crashed during an operational incident in April.
Not just aircraft and drones, official Pentagon records and updates from United States Central Command confirmed that 15 American service members have been killed since the conflict began, while at least 538 personnel have been wounded.
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