Trump talked loud on Indian jets… now 42 US warplanes damaged in Iran – total silence
His statements and unverified claims on his Truth Social created political noise in India because New Delhi never publicly confirmed the kind of losses Pakistan was claiming.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsNew Delhi: For months after Operation Sindoor, US President Donald Trump repeatedly spoke about fighter jets being shot down during the India-Pakistan military confrontation. The numbers kept changing. At one point, he claimed five Indian jets were downed. Later, he raised the number further while presenting himself as the leader who prevented a bigger regional war.
His statements and unverified claims on his Truth Social created political noise in India because New Delhi never publicly confirmed the kind of losses Pakistan was claiming. Indian officials instead accused Pakistani media and social media networks of spreading manipulated visuals and false narratives around the military offensive. India’s Press Information Bureau later rejected several viral claims, including stories about Rafale jets being destroyed and Indian airbases suffering major damage.
Now, an American report has put spotlight on a different set of numbers – losses suffered by the US military itself. Trump, who repeatedly talked about Indian aircraft during the India-Pakistan conflict, has so far said very little publicly about the damage to American fighter jets and drones during the Iran campaign.
42 US aircraft hit in Iran war?
According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, at least 42 American military aircraft were either lost or damaged during the Iran war. The report said the actual number could be higher because some details may still be classified or part of ongoing combat assessments.
The CRS prepared the findings using Pentagon statements, CENTCOM updates and media reports. The organisation works as a research and policy analysis body for the US Congress.
The aircraft listed in the report include four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, one A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling planes, one E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II aircraft, one HH-60W rescue helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and one MQ-4C Triton drone.
The Pentagon has also estimated that military operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury have cost the United States nearly $29 billion. Pentagon finance chief Jules Hurst III told lawmakers during a May 12 hearing that much of the increase came from updated repair and replacement costs for damaged military equipment.
Trump’s changing numbers during Op Sindoor
Trump’s comments on Operation Sindoor became controversial because the numbers he used kept on changing. In July 2025, he claimed that five jets had been shot down during the India-Pakistan clashes, though he did not clearly specify which country lost them.
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He used different numbers at different occasions while taking credit for preventing escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
India pushed back against several narratives stemming from Pakistani claims. Indian authorities and independent analysts said satellite imagery and viral videos circulated online did not support many of the claims about the purported destroyed Indian aircraft or airbases.
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh later stated that India had downed multiple Pakistani aircraft during Operation Sindoor, including F-16s and other assets.
Silence over Iran losses raises questions
The contrast is clear. Trump repeatedly claimed about alleged Indian aircraft losses, even though many of those figures were disputed. However, after an official American research body reported damage and losses involving US military aircraft in Iran, he has avoided comments on the scale of those losses.
Iran has used the CRS report to push its own narrative. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi shared the findings on social media and claimed Iran’s forces had gained valuable combat experience during the war. He also warned that any future military confrontation with Tehran would bring more surprises for American forces.
The report has added another layer to the political argument surrounding modern warfare, information battles and competing military claims. It has also reopened questions about how world leaders choose which losses to publicly discuss and which ones receive far less attention.