Replenishing U.S. Arsenal After Conflict with Iran Could Take "Years," Defense Secretary Says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that restoring the U.S. military arsenal, significantly depleted due to the conflict with Iran, might require "months and years," contingent upon the weapons systems involved.

Hegseth's appearance marked his second consecutive testimony before Congress. On Wednesday, he faced nearly six hours of questioning in the House of Representatives, where he was grilled on the war's costs and the significant depletion of weapon reserves.

Senator Mark Kelly, a Democratic Navy veteran from Arizona, posed a challenging inquiry: "Many of these attacks utilize our finest weaponry, and we've expended a considerable amount of it, alongside numerous missile interceptors. We can't manufacture these munitions overnight. Can you specify how many years it will take to replace these systems?"

Acknowledging the pertinence of the question, Hegseth added, "We are establishing new facilities in real-time just to replenish what has been used."

The secretary estimated that the munitions budget needs to be around $330 billion, with $40 billion allocated for hypersonic systems. He supported the Trump administration's fiscal year 2027 proposal, which aims to elevate defense spending to $1.5 trillion, the largest amount proposed in decades.

According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies published in April, the conflict with Iran exhausted approximately 50% of the U.S. Patriot interceptors, 30% of Tomahawks, and over 20% of JASSM missiles in just seven weeks of active operations.

The total cost of the war, known as Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026, amounts to $25 billion, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Derek Hurst.

Senator Jack Reed, the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, criticized the strategic outcomes of the conflict: "The Strait of Hormuz is shut, fuel prices have skyrocketed, and 13 American service members have lost their lives."

Reed also expressed concern over the transparency of reports received by the president: "I'm worried they have been telling the president what he wants to hear rather than what he needs to hear. Bold claims of success do a disservice to both the commander-in-chief and the troops who risked their lives based on them."

Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz on March 4, 2026, sent Brent crude prices soaring from $67 to over $126 per barrel, impacting gasoline prices in the U.S. and globally.

Hegseth labeled the Democratic lawmakers as "reckless detractors" and "armchair defeatists," defending the operation's results, which he claimed destroyed 90% of Iran's missile arsenal and 95% of its drones. He asserted that Trump "has the world's best negotiator working on a great deal."

The hearing also highlighted controversy over a statement Hegseth made on March 13, saying "no quarter, no mercy for our enemies." Kelly pointed out that such language, according to the Department's own war law manual, implies rejecting surrenders or executing detainees. Hegseth did not backtrack: "We've unleashed our fighters' hands. We fight to win and follow the law."

A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, agreed upon on April 7 and 8 after 39 days of active operations, was indefinitely extended by Trump on April 21 at Pakistan's request, as negotiations for a permanent agreement continued.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that completely restocking the key munitions expended in the conflict will take between one and four years, even with the expanded production contracts outlined in the 2027 budget.