{"id":66475,"date":"2026-08-13T12:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T16:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-military-losses-mount-in-iran-conflict-as-mortgage-rates-stabilize\/66475\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T12:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T16:08:14","slug":"us-military-losses-mount-in-iran-conflict-as-mortgage-rates-stabilize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-military-losses-mount-in-iran-conflict-as-mortgage-rates-stabilize\/66475\/","title":{"rendered":"US Military Losses Mount in Iran Conflict as Mortgage Rates Stabilize"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US military has lost approximately 25% of its MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet<\/strong> during the ongoing conflict with Iran, representing a loss of at least <strong>45 aircraft<\/strong> valued at over <strong>$1.3 billion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The USS George Washington is deploying to the Middle East<\/strong> to replace the <strong>USS Abraham Lincoln<\/strong>, which has completed a record-breaking <strong>200 days at sea without a port call<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>US 30-year fixed mortgage rates dipped to 6.67%<\/strong> for the week ending August 13, down slightly from <strong>6.69%<\/strong> the previous week, as housing affordability shows marginal improvement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> rose 2%<\/strong>, with Brent crude hovering near <strong>$85 per barrel<\/strong>, following news of the naval rotation and heightened risk premiums in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The U.S. military is facing significant equipment depletion as the conflict with Iran intensifies. According to reports from <em>The Washington Post<\/em>, the Air Force has lost roughly <strong>25% of its MQ-9 Reaper drone arsenal<\/strong>. These losses, totaling at least <strong>45 units<\/strong>, are attributed to both Iranian anti-aircraft measures and technical failures during high-intensity operations. Each Reaper drone costs between <strong>$30 million and $50 million<\/strong>, bringing the total estimated replacement cost for the weapon system alone to over <strong>$1.3 billion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The naval presence in the region is also undergoing a critical rotation due to extreme operational strain. The <strong>USS George Washington<\/strong> is being dispatched to the Middle East to relieve the <strong>USS Abraham Lincoln<\/strong>, which has been on an extended deployment since November. Lawmakers have raised alarms over deteriorating conditions aboard the Lincoln, noting that the crew has spent a record <strong>200 consecutive days without a port call<\/strong>. This rotation is part of a broader effort to maintain a dual-carrier presence in the <strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> area of responsibility while addressing sailor welfare and supply shortages.<\/p>\n<p>On the domestic front, the U.S. housing market saw a slight reprieve as mortgage rates continued a modest downward trend. Freddie Mac (<a href=\"\/stock\/FMCC\">FMCC<\/a>) reported that the <strong>30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.67%<\/strong> as of August 13, 2026. This is a decrease from the previous week\u2019s average of <strong>6.69%<\/strong>. The <strong>15-year fixed-rate mortgage<\/strong> also saw a decline, dropping to <strong>5.96%<\/strong> from <strong>6.01%<\/strong>. <em>Sam Khater<\/em>, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac (<a href=\"\/stock\/FMCC\">FMCC<\/a>), noted that while rates remain relatively stable, the slight dip has prompted an increase in both purchase and refinance applications.<\/p>\n<p>The intersection of military escalation and economic data has kept global markets on edge. Following the announcement of the fresh carrier deployment, <strong>Brent crude oil prices climbed 2%<\/strong> to nearly <strong>$85 a barrel<\/strong>. Investors are pricing in a higher risk premium as the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, a vital transit point for <strong>20% of global oil<\/strong>, remains a central flashpoint in the conflict. Meanwhile, defense analysts warn that the lack of an active production line for the MQ-9 Reaper could leave a long-term gap in U.S. surveillance and strike capabilities as the war continues to drain existing stockpiles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US military has lost approximately 25% of its MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet during the ongoing conflict with Iran, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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