Pentagon rushes weapons production after war on Iran drains stocks

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — The Pentagon is pressing U.S. defense contractors to accelerate weapons production after months of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran drained American stockpiles, exposing a strategic vulnerability in the country’s ability to sustain a prolonged conflict.

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg gave defense firms three weeks to submit plans for significantly faster deliveries of critical weapons, spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed, part of a broader effort to overhaul what officials call a slow, outdated acquisition system. 

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote.

The depletion is measurable. 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates the U.S. inventory of THAAD interceptors — an advanced missile-defense system — fell from roughly 450 before the war to between 234 and 278 by late July. 

Such systems are costly and slow to replace, requiring specialized components, skilled workers, and long-term investment.

The shortage carries strategic weight beyond Iran. 

Ari Cicurel of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America argued that Tehran could read U.S. caution as evidence of limited endurance, and that China could draw similar conclusions about US staying power in a potential conflict over Taiwan. 

Trump has rejected reports of a serious shortage, saying the U.S. has “massive amounts” of weapons — but the Pentagon’s own directive, which will help shape the 2028 defense budget, signals that replenishing stocks has become urgent. 

The deeper problem is structural: military strength depends not only on advanced weapons but on the capacity to manufacture and replace them fast enough to fight without forcing commanders to choose between current operations and future wars.