The Pentagon has identified all 13 U.S. service members killed in Operation Epic Fury. Six died in a drone strike in Kuwait on March 1. One died of wounds March 8. Six died in the KC-135 "Zeus 95" crash in Iraq on March 12.
The US can only confirm it destroyed roughly one-third of Iran's missiles. Iran struck Diego Garcia in week four. The war costs over $1.5 billion a day. Congress never voted. No one has said how it ends.
On Day 16, a senior Israeli military official announced 70 percent of Iran's missile launchers had been destroyed. The White House press secretary echoed it. The story was everywhere.
The independent record is different. Reuters, citing five US intelligence officials, reported that America can only confirm with certainty it destroyed roughly one-third of Iran's missile arsenal. The status of another third is unclear. Iran was still firing from Bid Kaneh facility — which had been "heavily bombed."
CENTCOM claimed 130 Iranian vessels destroyed on March 21. BBC Verify's satellite imagery confirmed far fewer. In week four, Iran struck Diego Garcia — the US-UK Indian Ocean base — demonstrating long-range capability survived three weeks of bombing.
"I don't know if we'll ever have an accurate number."
— Senior U.S. official, on destroyed missile assessment · Reuters, March 27, 2026The financial record is clearer. Pentagon briefed senators at Day 6: $11.3 billion spent. Sen. Coons confirmed: "well above a billion and a half a day." CSIS: $16.5 billion in first 12 days.
Congress has not authorized the war. No supplemental funding bill submitted. No administration official has specified the end state. The War Powers clock is running.
Among those 6,530: 640 confirmed civilians including 207 children and 160 women (Hengaw). HRANA independently documented 1,354 civilian deaths by Day 17 including 207+ children. Both organizations call these undercounts due to Iranian government concealment and internet blackouts.
The US and Israeli governments do not publish civilian casualty figures for Iranian victims.
April 3 — Day 35 · BREAKING: Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle from RAF Lakenheath over Iran — the first manned US jet downed in the conflict. One crew member rescued. One missing. An A-10 Warthog was also struck. Two rescue helicopters hit. Four US aircraft hit in a single day. Trump had said 48 hours earlier: "Their radar is 100% annihilated. We are unstoppable." His response to the shootdown: "KEEP THE OIL, ANYONE?"
March 27 — Day 28: Iran also destroyed E-3G Sentry #81-0005 at Prince Sultan Air Base — the first combat loss of an E-3 in history, valued at $500M. The E-3 is the airborne brain of the air war. 16 left in the entire Air Force. Replacement not possible before the 2030s. CENTCOM had said capability was "down 90%" two days before.
Full Iran war record — all sub-pages →In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iran's elected prime minister to protect British oil interests. Operation AJAX. The Shah was installed. American oil companies took 40% of Iran's fields. In 1979 came the revolution. In 2015 came a nuclear deal that was working. In 2018, Trump tore it up. By 2026, Iran had 55kg of weapons-grade uranium.
In February 2026, three rounds of talks produced what Oman's FM called a "major breakthrough." Talks were scheduled to resume March 2. Bombs fell February 28.
DIA: Iran had no missiles capable of hitting the US. IAEA: no credible evidence of an ongoing weapons program. Trump's own DNI Gabbard had warned against war — reversed herself when Trump called her "wrong."
Sen. Kaine, Armed Services Committee: "There was no imminent threat from Iran to the United States."
Iran's Shahed-136: ~$20,000–$50,000. The PAC-3 MSE that shoots it down: $4–$13.5 million. Iran's stockpile: 80,000. Iran's production: 400/day. US annual max production: 620/year. The cost ratio favors Iran at 100-to-1 or worse.
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