The Washington Post, citing three U.S. officials, reported that during its war with the Islamic Republic, the U.S. Army has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones; a figure equivalent to about 25% of the total fleet of these drones.

According to the Washington Post, another U.S. official said that none of these drones were not all shot down, and some of them crashed after operators lost contact with the drones.

Based on statements by the U.S. Air Force, the MQ-9 Reaper drone is used for reconnaissance operations and targeted attacks, and the value of each drone, depending on its equipment and ordnance, ranges from $30 million to $50 million. Accordingly, the cost of losing these drones could be estimated at more than $1.3 billion.