Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday, May 19, warned that any resumption of hostilities with the United States would bring fresh setbacks for American forces.
In a post on X, Araghchi highlighted reported U.S. congressional admissions about heavy aircraft losses during the Iran-U.S. conflict and pointed to Iran’s claim of downing an F-35 stealth fighter as proof of his country’s growing capabilities.
“Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions,” Araghchi wrote.
“Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as 1st to strike down a touted F-35. With lessons learned and knowledge we gained, a return to war will feature many more surprises.”
Operation Epic Fury
The statement comes amid high tensions between Tehran and Washington, as the cease-fire put in place last month following the intense air campaign, Operation Epic Fury, which started on 28 February 2026, remains fragile.
U.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian military sites, nuclear facilities, and missile infrastructure.
Tehran responded with missile barrages, drone fleets, and resolute air defenses. Several U.S. bases in the Middle East were hit.
The numbers Araghchi referenced trace back to comments made by Democratic Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii during a Senate committee hearing last week.
Case told Pentagon officials that the U.S. had lost about 39 aircraft, citing a detailed tracking report from the defense outlet The War Zone that was already a month old at the time.
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He pressed for details on replacement costs, noting some of the losses involved expensive manned platforms as well as large numbers of drones.
Subsequent congressional updates and open-source analysts put the total closer at 40-42 aircraft destroyed or written off.
The majority were MQ-9 Reaper drones. The list also included F-15E Strike Eagles, an A-10 Thunderbolt, KC-135 tankers, and other support craft.
Many losses occurred in the opening weeks when Iranian air defenses proved more resilient than expected.
Some were chalked up to accidents or friendly fire under the intense pace of operations, over 13,000 sorties in the first month alone, but others were clearly the result of Iranian surface-to-air missiles and guns.
The F-35 Incident That Sparked Global Attention
Iran said in mid-March that one of its air defense units had downed a US F-35A.
American officials confirmed a Lightning II was damaged by ground fire and made an emergency landing, but said it was repairable and not a total shoot-down.
The incident was a major propaganda victory for Tehran, the ‘first accepted combat damage to a fifth-generation stealth fighter in operational history.’
Iranian media and officials repeatedly referred to it as an outright kill.
Araghchi’s post described these events as validation. Iranian forces, he suggests, have absorbed hard lessons from weeks of sustained American and Israeli bombardment and emerged sharper.
The country’s layered air defense network, mixing older Russian systems with domestically developed radars and missiles, managed to score hits despite heavy electronic warfare and suppression efforts.
Missile production lines that took some damage have reportedly ramped back up.
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While Iran demonstrated notable staying power and inflicted real costs, estimated in the billions for aircraft replacements and munitions alone, the U.S. and Israel achieved many of their initial objectives, degrading key nuclear and missile sites, according to Western analysts.
The war settled into an uneasy pause, not a decisive conclusion, as back-channel negotiations with regional players have led to fragile rather than durable ceasefire agreements.
The language of Araghchi boosts domestic morale after months of punishing strikes. It signals to the region that Iran is still a capable player willing to fight.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said that their forces studied American tactics in real time and adapted accordingly.
Iran’s threat of “many more surprises” raises more fear as Tehran has long teased advances in hypersonic missiles, drone swarms, and integrated air defenses, though independent verification is often limited.
Trump recently said the U.S. may be forced to launch fresh strikes against Iran if Tehran refuses to negotiate for a new deal.
