How Many US Warplanes Has Iran Destroyed So Far?

News Desk

Washington: The American news agency Bloomberg has reported that a total of 16 US warplanes have been destroyed so far in the ongoing conflict with Iran, highlighting escalating losses for American forces in the region.

The report states that the destroyed aircraft include 10 Reaper strike drones, while an additional six US warplanes were severely damaged.

Three of the destroyed planes were lost over Kuwait, reportedly due to friendly fire incidents. Among the losses, a KC-135 tanker aircraft was destroyed during a refueling operation, resulting in the deaths of six crew members.

Another five KC-135 tankers sustained heavy damage from an Iranian missile strike at an airport in Saudi Arabia.

Bloomberg also reported that Iran has so far destroyed nine of the US Reaper drones, including one targeted by a ballistic missile in Jordan.

These losses underscore the growing challenges faced by US forces in maintaining air superiority amid intensified Iranian missile and drone attacks, as the conflict continues to escalate across the Middle East.

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‘Midnight Hammer’ Operation

 Seven US B-2 stealth bombers have returned to their airbase in Missouri after carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as part of Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’, US defense officials confirmed.

The unprecedented operation involved 125 aircraft and submarines, including fourth- and fifth-generation warplanes, targeting Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. According to US Secretary of Defense Pat Hegseth, the strikes successfully hit the designated facilities, with more than a dozen 30,000-pound bombs deployed on Fordow and Natanz, while Tomahawk missiles struck Isfahan.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine said that many aircraft were flown from the US to confuse Iranian defenses, but only seven B-2 bombers directly carried out the attacks.

The strikes mark a dramatic escalation in the ongoing US-Iran-Israel conflict. Iranian President Masoud Peshkeshian condemned the action, claiming the US intervened after Israel’s failed

attempts and suggesting that Washington was the real driver behind the attacks. Iranian media also cited senior officials claiming that Iran had prior notification of the strikes, highlighting the tense and complex diplomacy surrounding the operation.

Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’ underscores the reach and precision of US strategic airpower, signaling that long-range bomber capabilities can now target high-value sites deep inside adversary territory with coordinated multi-domain support.

The return of the B-2 fleet to the US coincides with growing concerns over escalation, as the region braces for potential retaliation and the wider implications of a direct US strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.