Iran war leaves US facing 'alarming' weapons shortage
Iran war leaves US facing 'alarming' weapons shortage  
Podcast: Iran: The Latest
Published On: Thu Jun 25 2026
Description: President Donald Trump needs more than $65bn in urgent funding for the Pentagon as a result of the Iran war, a stark reminder of the cost to America’s military. Amid a munitions crunch, the defense industrial base is being told to go faster - and the US’ adversaries are taking note.In today’s episode of Iran: The Latest, Venetia Rainey sits down with Dana Stroul, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East and now director of research at the Washington Institute. She delivers a blunt assessment of the conflict's fallout, why lopsided sanctions relief has handed Tehran an economic windfall, and how the war has severely strained America’s Gulf alliances. Plus, they discuss new reports that an advanced Iranian "jellyfish" drone formation successfully brought down a US F-15 fighter jet back in April.CONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyDana Stroul, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Middle East and research director Washington Institute @dstroulWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkCONTENT REFERENCED:Iran was using ‘jellyfish’ swarm of drones, reports downed F-15 pilothttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/06/23/f-15-pilot-shot-down-over-iran-saw-jellyfish-swarm-of-drone/Dana Stroul: How the Iran War Will Transform America’s Military Rolehttps://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/middle-east-power-paradox-dana-stroulProducer: Max Bower and Rachel PorterExecutive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/HighlightsUS facing weapons shortage - can Trump fix it?Did Iran down a US fighter jet with a secret new drone weapon? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.