U.S. War On Iran Costs $29 Billion, Destroys F-15E And MQ-9 Reaper

American reports and statements from Pentagon officials and members of Congress described U.S. military and economic losses since the war against Iran began in late February 2026, with the cost of U.S. military operations against Iran rising to about $29 billion.

“Is the war between the United States and Israel against Iran legal”

BBC

The losses included destruction or loss of four F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, damage to a U.S. F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, and loss of 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, while American reports also confirmed the deaths of 13 American soldiers and hundreds of injuries.

BBC

In a separate legal framing, the BBC said coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran and Iran's reciprocal response have so far led to civilian casualties and condemnation by António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general.

The BBC also cited Iran's Red Crescent Society saying more than 780 people have died in Iran, including 165 female students and teaching staff who died in the attack on a school.

The Intercept reported that the official number of dead and wounded U.S. personnel stands at 426, an almost 11 percent increase since the first ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was struck on April 8.

The BBC quoted Susan Bro, an international-law expert at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in Britain, saying legitimate self-defense requires “undisputable evidence of an imminent attack,” and she added that she has not seen such evidence.

Sir Geoffrey Nice, a prominent human-rights lawyer, told the BBC: “No evidence has been presented; it is very likely the start of this war was illegal.”

The Intercept

Meanwhile, The Intercept said the Pentagon’s official tally of dead and wounded military personnel is missing hundreds of casualties and described it as stemming from a “casualty cover-up.”

The Intercept reported that the Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, which tracks “deceased, wounded, ill or injured” service members, is missing hundreds of known casualties and that the true number exceeds 625.

It also said the tally of U.S. casualties was 385 when the first ceasefire was struck between the Trump administration and Iran, and it rose to 428 before later changes to wounded-in-action troops.

The Intercept said the U.S. and Iran agreed to a second ceasefire and the eventual reopening the Strait of Hormuz under a preliminary deal scheduled to take effect on Friday.

“American reports and statements from Pentagon officials and members of Congress have revealed the scale of military and economic losses the United States has suffered since the war against Iran began in late February 2026, in one of the most draining confrontations of American capabilities in the Middle East in recent years”

Al-Yawm Al-Sabea

It reported that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said on Monday: “Iran has taken a major step toward final victory,” as Iranian leaders took a victory lap after outlasting the Trump administration.

In the BBC’s account of the legal stakes, it framed the question around whether the initial U.S. and Israel attack met international-law standards under Article 2(4) and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The BBC also reported that Trump accused Tehran of developing nuclear weapons that threaten U.S. allies and could “soon reach American soil,” while Marco Rubio said the United States had to “preemptively go after them.”

The Intercept added that the official figures appear to be missing two soldiers wounded in action earlier this month, and it said DCAS lists no Army personnel wounded in action this month despite CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins telling NBC News that two crew members were receiving medical care.