The U.S. military lost two aircraft in Iran.

“A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands at a base in the Middle East, Jan. 18, 2026. U.S. Air Force/courtesy photo U.S. Central Command Public Affairs” (TWZ, F-15E Down In Iran, Rescue Operation Ongoing (Updated))

At the beginning of the war. The U.S. AF lost three F-15Es because of friendly fire. The Kuwaiti F/A-18 pilot  thought those planes were hostile. And open fire. The USAF also lost one E-3 Sentry AEW because of an Iranian missile strike. 

Now. The U.S. military lost two aircraft in Iran. The F-15E went down because of unknown circumstances. 

Those aircraft were not F-35. They were F-15E and A-10. Or the first one is shot down. And another aircraft was probably shot down. There is also a possibility that the F-35 was damaged by Iranian fire. This means that Iran is still dangerous. The F-15E is an older plane, but it's possible that AA flak hits the aircraft accidentally. And if the AA can shoot down the F-35, the Iranian government can give that aircraft to Moscow or Beijing. And that thing has an effect. On the success of the F-35 aircraft in all countries. Which are using the F-35. The Iranian conflict is always a risk. And the pilots can have important information. So. This is the reason why the U.S. Air Force sends HC-130J “Combat King” special rescue aircraft deep. Inside the Iranian airspace. Those special mission aircraft have versatile sensor equipment. And self-defense systems that allow them to operate deep inside enemy airspace. 

The case that the F-15 was shot down suggests that the Pentagon might have a problem. Responding to the newest missiles and jet fighters with other than F-35 aircraft. The problem is that. The F-15 is a very good plane. But. That plane base is in the systems that first flew almost 50 years ago.  If the F-35 falls into the hands of hostile nations, they can create a radar system that can break the stealth technology used in that aircraft. There is always a risk that the aircraft will be lost. There is a possibility that Iran has half of its missile launchers and drones. Those long-range missiles are also a threat to Europe. 

HC-130J "Combat King"

The Iranian missile and drone ranges. (SkyNews)

“A Fairchild Republic A-10 (A-10C) Thunderbolt II (nicknamed Warthog) close air support and ground attack jet, belonging to the USAF (United States Air Force) 66th Weapons Squadron, at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 25, 2020. (Larry MacDougal via AP)Read Less” (Newsweek,Second US Combat Plane Crashes Near Hormuz After Iran Shootdown: Report)

And those Shahed-drones are also shot at Cyprus. This means that Iran is a very dangerous enemy. There is suspicion that those drones and missiles are under the control of the Republican Guards. And that makes those systems more dangerous. The problem is that Iran knows that if it can raise the price of the oil, it can try to force Trump to stop that operation. So, it's possible that the Iranian government aims drone strikes at the oil terminals on the opposite shore of the Gulf. That makes it possible to cut the oil and LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) delivery from the Gulf Harbors. Another thing is this. There is always a possibility that the missile or drone hits another important aircraft. The U.S. lost the E-3 “Sentry” airborne early warning aircraft. 

The problem is that those AEW aircraft are not manufactured. Anymore. And those systems are the tools that play a vital role in the early warning systems that warn about drone attacks. The Hormuz Strait is another problem. Iran uses so-called “dum” contact  mines. The horn mines detonate because of the impact. There is no way to deny those things from working. Even if those systems. Using technology from the 19th century. Those mines can detonate a hole in the hull of the most modern warships. If an aircraft carrier sails into a mine, that causes damage to its hull. And another thing. The horn miner can cause. It is fatal damage to the submarine's body. The horn mine doesn’t have technology at all. The ship presses the battery or acid against the explosive. That detonates the mine. The only thing that can sweep those mines is minesweepers. 

The minesweeper can use a robot that cuts the mine’s wire, and then the mine. It can be detonated using machine cannons. There is a possibility. The Littoral Combat ships can take the robot mine sweeping tools onboard and then sail to Hormuz. But before that, the U.S military must use its Avenger-class minesweepers to secure the Hormuz. Even the best minesweeping tools are ineffective if they lie on the other side of the harbour on Earth. 

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202604/04/WS69d0192ea310d6866eb41b24.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/30/middleeast/us-air-force-awacs-jet-destroyed-saudi-arabia-intl-hnk-ml

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/another-us-jet-lost-a-10-warthog-attack-plane-crashes-near-strait-of-hormuz-after-iran-f-15-strike/ar-AA206mte?ocid=BingNewsSerp

https://www.newsweek.com/a-10-warthog-second-us-combat-plane-crash-hormuz-11781253

https://news.sky.com/story/what-missiles-could-israel-use-in-an-attack-and-can-iran-defend-itself-13117104

https://www.twz.com/air/angry-kitten-electronic-warfere-pod-spotted-flying-on-hc-130j-combat-rescue-plane

https://www.twz.com/air/photos-of-f-15e-wreckage-emerge-amid-iranian-claims-it-shot-down-an-american-fighter

https://www.twz.com/air/usaf-f-35-makes-emergency-landing-after-allegedly-being-hit-by-iranian-fire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenger-class_mine_countermeasures_ship

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littoral_combat_ship

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_HC-130

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine