US burned $33.4 billion in 6 months of war in Iran, dozens of aircraft lost

The US has spent 33.4 billion dollars (around Rs 3.21 lakh crore) on its war with Iran, burning through more than 22 billion dollars in munitions while losing or damaging dozens of aircraft and suffering damage to hundreds of structures, a Pentagon watchdog has revealed.

The first official accounting of the campaign's losses, outlined in a report by the Department of Defense inspector general and covering February 28 to June 30, also exposes pressure on America's weapons stockpile. The Defence Department acknowledged "strategic inventory shortfalls" and "industrial base bottlenecks" in replenishing munitions, despite President Donald Trump repeatedly dismissing reports that the US is facing ammunition shortages after months of fighting.

According to the report, the US spent about 22 billion dollars on expended munitions during the period, with equipment losses reaching 3.7 billion dollars and other expenditures adding another 7.4 billion dollars. The accompanying figures put the total military cost at 33.4 billion dollars.

DOZENS OF US AIRCRAFT LOST OR DAMAGED

The losses stretched across some of the US military's most important aircraft, from fighter jets and aerial-refuelling tankers to helicopters and unmanned surveillance platforms.

At least four F-15E fighter jets were destroyed, including three that were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait on March 1 and another lost during combat over Iran in April. At least one F-35A stealth fighter was damaged by Iranian fire in March, while at least one A-10 ground-attack aircraft was also shot down.

The US also suffered losses among its support aircraft. At least seven KC-135 aerial-refuelling tankers were damaged or destroyed, while an E-3 Sentry airborne early-warning aircraft was damaged at Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan airbase.

Other aircraft losses included an HH-60W helicopter, an MQ-4C Triton surveillance aircraft and an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Four AH-6 helicopters were destroyed after being deemed unrecoverable during a combat search and rescue operation in Iran.

Perhaps the most striking figure involves the MQ-9 Reaper. As many as 30 Reaper drones were destroyed, adding to the cost of a campaign that relied heavily on surveillance, intelligence gathering and precision strikes. The report also noted that Iran claimed further strikes against US surveillance and attack drones around the Strait of Hormuz and said Tehran had captured a US submersible.

HUNDREDS OF US FACILITIES DAMAGED

The damage was not limited to aircraft.

According to the report, US Central Command said Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at American military installations across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan. The watchdog did not provide a detailed breakdown of the damage.

US logistics operations also faced difficulties. The report said "establishment of adequate naval bases and support ports posed significant challenges before and during" the campaign, citing complications over access to ports and fleet resupply.

The shift of logistics support to Diego Garcia created another problem. "An issue with shifting logistics support and infrastructure to Diego Garcia has been distance, with extended sea transit requiring 14- to 18-day logistics cycles," the report quoted CENTCOM as saying.

DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES ALSO HIT

Iranian attacks also caused damage to US diplomatic facilities in the region. The watchdog estimated damage to American diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE at 184 million dollars. Washington also faced an estimated 24.5 million dollars per month in construction delays linked to ordered departures and travel restrictions across several regional capitals.

Iraq bore a particularly heavy burden. The US State Department said its Iraq mission faced more than 600 attacks by the end of June, with costs reaching nearly 157 million dollars.

The US Consulate General in Erbil suffered damage to several buildings, while the US Embassy in Baghdad was damaged "but to a lesser extent". The Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center near Baghdad Airport suffered extensive damage, according to the report.

In Kuwait, the US Embassy in Kuwait City suspended operations on March 5 because of "regional tensions", attacks and damage to embassy facilities, with the cost estimated at nearly 14.75 million dollars.

Two Iranian drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh on March 3, causing material damage estimated at about 11.5 million dollars. The US Consulate General in Dubai also suffered damage to a utility building, with the cost put at nearly 120,000 dollars.

MUNITIONS SHORTFALLS ADD TO PRESSURE

Beyond the immediate physical losses, the report flagged another problem that could prove more consequential for future US military operations: ammunition stocks.

The inspector general said the US had suffered "strategic inventory shortfalls" after spending more than 22 billion dollars on munitions during the conflict. It also identified "industrial base bottlenecks" affecting efforts to replenish supplies.

The assessment contrasts with Trump's repeated insistence that American weapons supplies remain plentiful. The US President has previously described US ammunition stocks as "virtually unlimited" and rejected reports of shortages as "fake news".

The report said the Defence Department is now working to "streamline procurement processes and production lead times" so it can replenish supplies and "respond rapidly to a contingency".

The scale of the campaign also extended to personnel. The report said at least 11 US military personnel were "killed in action", while seven others died in "non-hostile events". It also recorded at least 417 military personnel wounded in Iranian attacks through June 30.

IRAN MOCKS CLAIMS OF ITS DEFEAT

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also took a dig at claims that Iran had been left defenceless during the conflict. In a post on X, Araghchi contrasted what he called "Fiction" with "Fact", pointing to what he described as "100s of US military sites blown to pieces" and "dozens of aircraft scorched", citing the Pentagon's figures. He added that this was just the tip of the iceberg and warned that Tehran would reveal more details in due course.

The figures provide a stark counterpoint to earlier claims that the conflict could be wrapped up quickly. Trump had repeatedly suggested the war would last only weeks, but later said it might end "right after" the November midterm elections.

The Pentagon watchdog's accounting therefore points to a conflict that has proved far more expensive and demanding for the US than the administration's earlier descriptions suggested. With talks not happening and no clear diplomatic breakthrough in sight, there is also no end to the war in sight.

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