Since the United States and Israel initiated a joint military attack on Iran on Feb. 28, 16 MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to the report published by CBS News on Wednesday, have been lost by the U.S. military, with two U.S. officials speaking anonymously.

On Monday, Iranian state media said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran had “intercepted and destroyed” a U.S. MQ-9 over Isfahan.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted aircraft that is primarily utilised in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, but can also be employed to conduct precision strikes.

The cost of one aircraft can run up to over 30 million U.S. dollars, depending on the type of Reaper drone, the CBS News report revealed.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly asserted that Iran’s air defences and the ability to launch missiles were virtually wiped out in the course of the month-long U.S.-Israeli attacks.