A Congressional Research Service report reveals that at least 42 US aircraft were lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iran, with costs estimated to reach USD 29 billion.
Iran's state media cited the spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of Iran's military to claim that a United States military refuelling plane was shot down by a missile fired by resistance groups in western Iraq. The spokesperson further told Press TV that all six service members on board had been killed.
Rescue operations are currently underway, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, the command said.
A French soldier was killed while several others were injured in an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. Macron, in a post on X, confirmed that Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins lost his life in the attack.
Iran's claim comes after United States President Donald Trump confirmed that the military rescued the second F-15 crew member, who had gone missing after Iran downed the jet amid the West Asia conflict.
US defence officials confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that in response to Islamic State's killing of two Americans in Syria, the US retaliated by striking the nation.
Curtains will fall on the Rim of the Pacific 2016, the world's largest international maritime exercise, on August 4.
