The US lost at least nine aircraft during the war with Iran

During the war with Iran, the US lost at least nine military aircraft in various incidents, including combat losses and accidents.

One particular incident occurred during a rescue operation when US military personnel evacuated two crew members from an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft that had been shot down over Iranian territory. Special transport aircraft were deployed for the operation, but after landing, some of them became unusable due to technical faults or difficult terrain.

Consequently, the US military destroyed at least two transport aircraft to prevent the equipment from falling into the hands of Iranian forces. This decision is explained by standard security protocols during operations in hostile environments.

According to Iranian state media, wreckage of Lockheed Martin C-130 aircraft, presumably the MC-130J Commando II variant, was found at the scene in Isfahan province. There are also reports of helicopter wreckage that may have been used during special operations.

In addition, several other aircraft have been lost recently. In particular, an F-15 and an A-10 were destroyed in separate incidents, bringing the total number of manned aircraft lost to nine, reports CNN.

On 2 March, three F-15s were shot down by Kuwaiti air defence systems as a result of a friendly fire incident. All crew members ejected.

On 12 March, a KC-135 tanker crashed in Iraq, killing six crew members; the incident occurred during an interaction with another aircraft.

On 27 March, an E-3 Sentry long-range early warning aircraft was destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia following an Iranian strike. A refuelling aircraft was also damaged during this attack, and at least ten service personnel were injured.

Separately, it is reported that an F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a base in the Middle East after being hit, presumably by Iranian forces.