Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back Tuesday against growing concerns that the war with Iran has severely strained America’s weapons stockpiles, telling lawmakers during a tense Pentagon budget hearing that the US military still has the firepower it needs. Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine testified before a House Appropriations defense subcommittee reviewing President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027.

During the roughly two-hour hearing, lawmakers from both parties questioned whether months of strikes, air defense operations, and regional deployments tied to the Iran conflict had burned through critical US munitions supplies. Hegseth rejected that characterization, saying: “I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum. That’s not true.”

Hegseth acknowledged that the Pentagon is increasing weapons production but insisted the military remains fully prepared for ongoing operations. “Ultimately, we have all the munitions needed to execute what we need to execute,” he said, adding that the Trump administration plans to “supercharge” future production. He declined to publicly discuss detailed stockpile levels.

Lawmakers continued pressing Pentagon officials over long-term readiness concerns and the pace at which advanced weapons are being consumed. Senator Mark Kelly previously warned the US had already fired “years’ worth of munitions” during the conflict, while Senator Chris Coons cautioned that tactical successes against Iran could still lead to a broader “strategic loss” if US military readiness suffers.

Pentagon officials also revealed Tuesday that the estimated cost of the Iran war has now climbed to roughly $29 billion, with much of the increase tied to replacing munitions and repairing military equipment used during the campaign.