1236 ET - A continued U.S. military operation in Iran is likely to put upward pressure on the defense budget and increase demand for weapons and missile defense programs, Truist analyst Michael Ciarmoli writes in a note published Sunday. President Trump on Monday suggested the operation could last four to five weeks. "We believe a continuation of op-tempo/strikes will serve to potentially reinforce the DoW/Trump's desire for a $1.5T FY27 budget especially if the duration of these operations turns out to last several weeks," Ciarmoli writes. Truist expects this translates to higher demand for missiles from companies like L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman as stockpiles are depleted, as well as demand for companies supporting Israel's Iron Dome, including Kratos Defense and Leonardo DRS. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 02, 2026 12:36 ET (17:36 GMT)
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