The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, admitted before the Senate Armed Services Committee that rebuilding the U.S. military arsenal, partially depleted by the war with Iran, could take "months and years," depending on the weapon system.
It was Hegseth's second consecutive appearance before Congress: on Wednesday, he had testified for nearly six hours before the House of Representatives, where he also faced tough questioning about the costs of the war and the depletion of weapon reserves.
The Democratic senator Mark Kelly from Arizona and a Navy veteran, was the one who pressed the secretary with the most uncomfortable question of the day: "Many of these attacks use our best weapons, and we are using many of them, along with numerous missile interceptors. We cannot produce these munitions overnight. Can you tell us how many years it will specifically take to replace these systems?"
Hegseth acknowledged that the question was "exactly the right one" and added, "We are building new plants in real time just to replace what we have expended."
The secretary estimated that the necessary budget for munitions amounts to about 330 billion dollars, including 40 billion for hypersonic systems, and defended the Trump administration's proposal for fiscal year 2027, which would raise defense spending to 1.5 trillion dollars, the largest amount proposed in decades.
According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies published in April, the war with Iran depletes nearly 50% of the Patriot interceptors, 30% of the Tomahawks, and more than 20% of the JASSM missiles of the U.S. in just seven weeks of active operations.
The total cost of the war —the so-called Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026— amounts to 25 billion dollars, according to Undersecretary of Defense Derek Hurst.
The Democratic senator Jack Reed, the highest-ranking member of the committee, was more direct in his criticism of the strategic balance of the conflict: "The Strait of Hormuz is closed, fuel prices have skyrocketed, and 13 American military personnel have lost their lives."
Reed also questioned the honesty of the reports the president receives: "I am concerned that they have been telling the president what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear. The bold claims of success do a disservice to both the commander-in-chief and the troops who risked their lives based on them."
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, ordered by Iran on March 4, 2026, caused the price of Brent crude to soar from 67 to over 126 dollars per barrel, impacting gasoline prices in the United States and around the world.
Hegseth, for his part, described the Democratic lawmakers as "reckless detractors" and "defeatists from the cheap seats," and defended the results of the operation, which he claimed destroyed 90% of Iran's missile arsenal and 95% of its drones. He also asserted that Trump "has the best negotiator in the world driving a great deal."
The hearing was also marked by controversy surrounding a statement made by Hegseth on March 13, when he said, "no mercy for our enemies." Kelly pointed out that this phrase, according to the Department's own manual on the laws of war, implies rejecting surrenders or executing detainees. Hegseth did not retract his statement: "We have unleashed the hands of our fighters. We fight to win and we follow the law."
The 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 the request of Pakistan, while negotiations for a permanent agreement continue.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the complete restocking of the essential munitions consumed in the conflict will take between one and four years, even with the expanded production contracts included in the 2027 budget.
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