Washington, Aug. 8 -- The US Defence Department has asked American defence contractors to urgently increase weapons production and speed up deliveries amid concerns over a shortage of critical munitions linked to the war with Iran, The Washington Post reported while citing a memo.

Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg told industry leaders on Wednesday they have up to 21 days to submit plans for "significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities".

"Years-long development timelines are unacceptable," Feinberg said, calling on companies to "dramatically accelerate" output and timelines.

This comes even as a Pentagon official told Al Jazeera on Saturday that US munitions stock...