Iran War: Pentagon orders arms production surge
Escalating tensions in the Middle East have prompted the Pentagon to order an arms production surge, according to Middle East Eye via The Washington Post on August 8th.
An August 5th memo revealed that Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg gave defence contractors 21 days to explain how they would “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities.”
Feinberg wrote, “Years-long development cycles are not acceptable. We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”
Nearly 80% of the US Army’s missile interceptor stockpile has been depleted since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28th.
Since February 28th, the US has depleted its surface-to-surface weapons supply, including the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).
Despite this, US President Donald Trump has denied reports of munitions shortages, insisting that the US has an “unlimited supply” of weapons.
News of these shortages comes amid growing bipartisan support for halting US military aid to Israel over concerns about complicity in war crimes following Israel’s wars on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
On July 21st, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the war on Iran had cost the US $37.5 billion so far, $8 billion higher than the previously estimated cost of $29 billion in May.
The US is Israel’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 53% of Israel’s total conventional arms imports since 2023; Germany covers the remaining 47%.
Israeli defence cooperation is not limited to the US, as countries including Greece, Serbia, Britain, France and Germany have maintained ties since 2023.
Europe was Israel’s largest arms purchaser in 2025, accounting for 36% of Israel’s total exports.
Growing European interest in Israeli-made weapons has been linked to security concerns about Russia.
Outside of Europe, India, Thailand and Morocco have sought defence cooperation with Israel, with the latter normalising relations in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Maghrebi has contacted the Pentagon for comment on the reported arms production surge; they responded with a statement from Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell:
“[Under Hegseth], this Department has been focused on delivering generational change to the speed, capacity, and lethality of America’s defence industrial base and the Arsenal of Freedom.”
“[Feinberg] is a generational leader in that effort, driving the hard work of fixing our broken, antiquated, and immensely complex acquisition system so we can actually produce the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands.”
“Working directly with industry leaders to accelerate production is not new. It has been the clear intent of [Trump] and [Hegseth] from the start.”
“The August 5 memo is real. It will inform the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress for funding, and it is entirely consistent with our ongoing push to rebuild the defence industrial base.”
“The fiscal year 2027 budget currently being considered on Capitol Hill could supercharge this effort today.”
Middle East Eye via The Washington Post, Maghrebi.org
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