At least 81 US aircraft worth up to $3.3bn lost or damaged in Iran war

At least 81 United States military aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, have been lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, the code name for Washington’s military campaign against Iran launched earlier this year.The statistic comes as part of a report released on Monday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan government agency that provides budget-related research to the legislature.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Hormuz ship attacks surge: Are increased oil exports sustainable?list 2 of 3US stocks slide as oil prices fluctuate over renewed Iran war fearslist 3 of 3The Hormuz bonus: Sailor salaries soar for transits amid Iran warend of listIt estimated that, as of August 1, the cost of the American aircraft losses during the US-Israeli war against Iran was between $1.9bn and $3.3bn.The report this week highlights the growing price tag for the war, which began on February 28. A lasting ceasefire has remained out of reach as the conflict continues into its eighth month.“The asymmetries of warfare show that even small countries with small militaries can inflict damage on the world’s best militaries,” said Harlan Ullman, a former naval officer a...