2025 Israel-Iran Conflict

MQ-9 Reaper in the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict

U.S. MQ-9 Reapers were used in Operation Epic Fury against Iran for surveillance, attack, and dynamic-target support, with public reporting also documenting significant aircraft losses.

Weapon profileMQ-9 Reaper
SideUnited StatesRoleReconnaissance & SurveillanceTargeting Support
MQ-9 Reaper, Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVs - 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict
Image source: File: MQ-9 Reaper - 090609-F-0000M-777.JPG

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S. MQ-9 Reapers were employed in Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury Fact Sheet

The documented side for this conflict-use record is the United States.

Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury Fact Sheet, Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury

Public reporting describes Reapers performing both strikes and ISR or strike-support work against dynamic targets.

Sources: Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury, Atlantic Council Iran War Assets

Reported MQ-9 losses during Operation Epic Fury were substantial, but public loss counts vary and are not a complete official inventory.

Sources: Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury, Military Times MQ-9 Epic Fury, Atlantic Council Iran War Assets

Iran claimed an MQ-9 downing during June 2026 renewed exchanges, but Al Jazeera did not independently verify the claim.

Sources: Al Jazeera June Strait Exchanges

Timeline

MQ-9 Reaper In 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict

  1. Canonical conflict begins

    The catalog's 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict record starts with direct Israel-Iran fighting that opened on June 13, 2025.

    Sources: 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict Metadata

  2. Operation Epic Fury begins

    CENTCOM states that Operation Epic Fury began against Iran at the direction of the U.S. president on February 28, 2026.

    Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury Fact Sheet

  3. CENTCOM lists MQ-9s among U.S. assets

    CENTCOM's Operation Epic Fury fact sheet listed MQ-9 surveillance and attack drones among the U.S. assets employed against Iran.

    Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury Fact Sheet

  4. Air Force chief highlights MQ-9 role

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told lawmakers that the MQ-9 was a leading unmanned platform in Operation Epic Fury.

    Sources: Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury, Military Times MQ-9 Epic Fury

  5. Iran claims MQ-9 downing in renewed exchanges

    Al Jazeera reported that the IRGC claimed a broader retaliatory campaign had included the downing of a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper; the outlet stated that the claims had not been independently verified.

    Sources: Al Jazeera June Strait Exchanges

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The MQ-9 Reaper appeared in the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict through U.S. operations against Iran during Operation Epic Fury. U.S. Central Command's April 6, 2026 fact sheet for the operation lists MQ-9 surveillance and attack drones among the U.S. assets employed against Iran.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach later told the House Armed Services Committee that the MQ-9 was the standout unmanned platform in Operation Epic Fury. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported his remarks that Reapers conducted many strikes, supported operations without placing pilots over Iran, and remained in use after the main six-week fighting period.

Sources: CENTCOM Epic Fury Fact Sheet, Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury

Timeline

The catalog's canonical 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict began with direct Israel-Iran fighting in June 2025 and remains open for later directly sourced state-on-state engagements. MQ-9 evidence in this record belongs to the later U.S. Operation Epic Fury phase against Iran rather than the opening Israeli operation.

CENTCOM states that Operation Epic Fury began against Iran on February 28, 2026. By April 6, CENTCOM's public fact sheet listed MQ-9 surveillance and attack drones among the assets employed and reported more than 13,000 targets struck across the campaign.

On May 20, 2026, Wilsbach publicly emphasized the MQ-9's role during congressional testimony. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that Reapers flew around a dozen orbits over Iran at a time during the air war, focused on striking or supplying intelligence for other platforms against dynamic targets such as missile and drone launchers, aircraft, and mobile systems.

Sources: 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict Metadata, CENTCOM Epic Fury Fact Sheet, Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury

Narrative

The documented user was the United States. Public sources support MQ-9 use for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, attack, and strike-support missions in Iranian-controlled battlespace during Operation Epic Fury; they do not support Iranian, Israeli, or proxy possession of U.S. MQ-9s in this conflict.

The Atlantic Council described the total number of MQ-9s used in Operation Epic Fury as unknown, but noted that the United States rotated MQ-9s in orbits with several aircraft loitering over enemy airspace at a time. Its tracker grouped the Reaper with ISR assets and cited open-source reporting that MQ-9 losses during Epic Fury built on earlier attrition in the region.

Public reporting also indicates that the MQ-9's usefulness came with attrition. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that nearly 30 Reapers had been lost in operations against Iran, including aircraft lost to air defenses and others struck on the ground. Military Times, summarizing congressional testimony and related reporting, gave a lower figure of 24 Epic Fury Reaper losses and tied those losses to the fleet falling to roughly 135 aircraft. Those loss counts are reported figures rather than a complete official inventory.

Sources: Air & Space Forces MQ-9 Epic Fury, Military Times MQ-9 Epic Fury, Atlantic Council Iran War Assets

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Sources