While CNN reports that seven US manned aircraft have now been lost in the Iran war – including an F-15 shot down over Iran and an A-10 damaged during a rescue mission – the mainstream media continues to overlook the most important question: who profits from war? The answer is hiding in plain sight on Wall Street and K Street.

According to OpenSecrets, defense companies, PACs, and donors have directed $300 million in campaign contributions and $2.6 billion in lobbying spending over the past two decades to influence defense policy. That’s $40,000 a day spent convincing politicians to keep the bombs flowing. Meanwhile, Brown University’s Costs of War Project estimates the US has already spent or obligated $8 trillion on post-9/11 wars – and the Iran conflict alone is burning through roughly $1 billion to $2 billion per day.

The losses detailed below – including three F-15s downed by friendly fire over Kuwait, a $500 million E-3 Sentry destroyed on the ground, and 17 MQ-9 Reaper drones lost – represent billions in taxpayer-funded equipment. The unconstitutional war Iran was launched without a single congressional vote, violating Article I of the Constitution. And US tax dollars funding Israel continue to pour out the door at $3.8 billion annually in military aid.

The Trump Israel Iran war has already cost American lives – at least 13 service members killed – and now billions in hardware. The defense contractors who sit on Pentagon advisory boards and donate to the politicians who greenlit this conflict are laughing all the way to the bank. Lockheed Martin’s stock rose 33% in the first two months of 2026 alone.

So why isn’t Congress debating this? Tell your representative to bring the troops home and stop the war profiteering. Share this if you want your tax dollars spent at home, not on bombs.

Source: Firstpost – reprinted for commentary and analysis under fair use. The following is the original reporting:

At least 7 US aircraft lost in Iran war, says report; here’s the estimated cost

Rewati Karan April 05, 2026 / 15:19 IST

At least seven US manned aircraft have been lost during the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to a report by CNN, with additional losses and damage outlined by OSINT tracking.

The latest incidents involved the downing of two aircraft on the same day. As reported, “the downing of two US fighter jets in a single day on Friday, in separate incidents – a US Air Force F-15 and an A-10 – raised the total number of manned US aircraft lost in the conflict with Iran to seven.”

Earlier in the conflict, a major friendly fire episode significantly contributed to the toll. On March 2, “three F-15s were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait.” Despite the severity, all personnel survived, with “all six crew members safely ejected.” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that “the three pilots have since returned to flying missions against Iran.”

Another deadly incident occurred on March 12, when “six US personnel were killed when a KC-135 refueling tanker crashed in Iraq.” The US military clarified the circumstances, stating the aircraft “was not downed by hostile or friendly fire, but was involved in an incident with another aircraft” during Operation Epic Fury. The second aircraft “landed without issue.”

Losses also extended to high-value surveillance assets. On March 27, “an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft was reportedly destroyed while on the ground during an Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.” The same strike “injured at least 10 US service members,” while “a US Air Force tanker was also damaged.”

Additionally, survivability incidents have been reported. A US F-35 was forced into “an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East last month after being hit by what is believed to be Iranian fire,” according to CNN, citing sources.

Independent OSINT assessments provide a broader accounting of losses and damage. Data cited notes “4x F-15E ‘Strike Eagle’ (3 to friendly-fire over Kuwait, 1 to Iranian fire),” alongside “1x E-3G ‘Sentry’,” “1x A-10C ‘Thunderbolt II’,” and tanker losses including “1 lost with 6 crew KIA over Iraq.” The same dataset highlights multiple damaged aircraft, including helicopters and additional tankers, with uncertainty over whether some will be written off. As per data compiled by OSINT, US losses are estimated at around Rs 15,400 crore, including 4 F-15Es worth Rs 3,300 crore, one A-10 Thunderbolt II worth Rs 174 crore, two KC-135 tankers worth over Rs 740 crore, 17 MQ-9 Reaper drones worth Rs 4,700 crore, and a Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System worth nearly Rs 6,500 crore, with nine other US aircraft also reported to have been damaged.

Drone losses have also been substantial. OSINT estimates indicate “17 MQ-9 Reaper drones” have been lost, significantly increasing the total financial and operational impact.

The conflict itself escalated after the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on February 28. Since then, “Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.”

While confirmed losses currently stand at seven manned aircraft per CNN reporting, both official and independent assessments suggest the broader scale of damage may still be evolving, with some incidents yet to be fully verified or disclosed.