Abbas Araqchi provides “evidence” of higher numbers than what was stated in the new Congress report on the size of America’s losses in the Iran war

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, responded to the new Congress report and the amended figures contained therein that raised the size of the United States’ losses in the war on Iran. Araqchi said in a post on his official page on the X platform (formerly Twitter): “In May, the Congressional Research Service acknowledged that the Iranian armed forces had destroyed 42 American military aircraft.

Araqchi continued, saying: “What is the evidence for this? The US Central Command (CENTCOM) refuses to allow a senator to inspect bases that it claims are sound...

A report issued by the Congressional Research Service revealed that the US military lost 81 aircraft - destroyed or damaged - during the war with Iran. This number includes aircraft, helicopters and drones, with the MQ-9 Reaper, used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, close air support, and combat search and rescue operations - accounting for more than half of the total losses. The list also includes some of the Pentagon's most important military assets, including an F-35A fighter and an E-3 Sentry aircraft. It is a quad-engine jet aircraft that features a huge radar dome atop its fuselage and is used to track targets and manage airspace.

The report stated - based on figures issued by the Congressional Budget Office - that the total cost of the lost aircraft ranges between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, according to the Department of Defense’s plans to compensate for these losses.