Iran Claims Destruction of US Aircraft and Drones at Middle East Bases

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Hüseyin Muhibbi announced that in the past 15 days Iranian forces destroyed 11 United States warplanes and 17 unmanned aerial vehicles. The losses reportedly include an F‑15 fighter, a C‑17 transport, a P‑8 reconnaissance aircraft, eight fuel‑tankers and a range of radar, satellite‑communication and air‑defence systems. Muhibbi also claimed that at least 200 U.S. service members were killed in the attacks.

Separately, Iran’s army said it targeted the U.S. Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain and the Ahmed Al‑Caber Air Base in Kuwait with kamikaze drones as part of a retaliation operation called “Yıldırım.” The statements said the strikes damaged the bases’ operational and logistical capabilities and hit satellite‑communication equipment.

Both announcements portray a coordinated Iranian response to earlier U.S. actions in the region, suggesting a heightened risk of further military escalation.