US President Donald Trump's Iran war has cost the U.S. military about one-quarter of the drones that a top general recently likened to “the most valuable player” in America's weapons lineup, The Washington Post reported.

Axar.az informs, citing Independent, that at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones have been shot down or crashed, leaving no more than 145 remaining in dwindling defense stockpiles, the newspaper reported, according to three unidentified officials familiar with the matter.

Each drone costs from $30 million to $50 million, depending on its sensors and missiles, which puts the loss to taxpayers at more than $1.3 billion, the Post said.

The lost Reapers are among the weapons and munitions that have been used up by the Iran war and years of U.S. support for Ukraine's defense against Russia.

The situation is limiting Trump's military options as a key figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened this week to prolong the fighting until Trump leaves office.