US Loses 25% of Reaper Drone Fleet in Iran War

The United States military lost approximately 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, representing 25% of its prewar fleet, during the ongoing conflict with Iran. Lt. Gen. David Tabor testified to the Senate that the operational pool dropped to about 135 drones by May. The losses, concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz, are estimated to cost taxpayers over $1.3 billion. While some aircraft were shot down by Iran and its proxies in Yemen and Iraq, others crashed due to communication failures.

These losses coincide with a broader depletion of munitions, including over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors. War Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed the conflict's budgetary cost has reached $37.5 billion and requested an additional $8 billion for the Pentagon. In response to the Reaper losses, the Department of War is phasing out the aircraft in favor of cheaper, swarm-capable attack reconnaissance drones.

President Donald Trump has denied weapon shortages and is reportedly considering ending the war in exchange for a non-nuclear deal and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran has warned it will continue hostilities until 2028. Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the UAE condemned Iranian attacks on vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the Strait of Hormuz.