Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi issued a sharp warning to the United States on Wednesday, claiming vindication from a newly released Congressional report that documented the scale of American aircraft losses during Operation Epic Fury.
He further warned that any return to hostilities would bring consequences far graver than the last campaign.
"Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions," Araghchi posted on X, adding: "Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as 1st to strike down a touted F-35. With lessons learned and knowledge we gained, return to war will feature many more surprises."
Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 19, 2026
Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as 1st to strike down a touted F-35.
With lessons learned and knowledge we gained, return to war will feature many more surprises.
The remarks were a direct response to a Congressional Research Service report dated May 13, 2026, which formally documented that the United States military lost or sustained damage to more than 40 aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, the 40-day US-Israeli air campaign against Iran that began on February 28, 2026.
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The aircraft losses and damages included four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, one A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C Triton drone.
The report estimated the total cost of the aircraft losses at approximately $2.6 billion, though US lawmakers warned the real figure could be significantly higher, saying it remains "unclear" whether the Pentagon has fully accounted for all combat losses.
Perhaps most symbolically significant was the fate of the F-35. The damaged F-35A Lightning II represented the first time in the aircraft's operational history that it had been hit in combat, a milestone that Araghchi seized upon to undercut the stealth fighter's near-mythical reputation.
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During a May 12, 2026 hearing, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III testified that the department's cost estimate for military operations in Iran has increased to $29 billion, the report said.
The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the full extent of the losses.
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