US President Donald Trump has urged American defence manufacturers to build weapons faster, even as questions grow over whether the war with Iran has significantly depleted US munitions stockpiles. The concern matters because a tenuous ceasefire, which began on 8 April, has left the Pentagon needing to replenish sophisticated, hard-to-manufacture weapons whilst also considering further military options against Iran, with officials warning that stocks of some missiles could take years to rebuild.

The nearly 40-day conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, has cost the US an estimated $37.5bn (£28bn), most of it on munitions, with over 13,000 targets struck in Iran and more than 1,700 Iranian drones and missiles intercepted. More than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, costing roughly $2.6m (£2m) each, were fired, and analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimate stockpiles may not recover until 2031. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, having previously denied shortages, has since told Congress the Pentagon needs an extra $87bn (£68bn) to address "critical shortfalls," though Trump insists the US holds "far more munitions than anyone in the world."