The preliminary and wide-ranging talks, which started before the war in Iran, come as the Trump administration wants automakers and other American manufacturers to play a larger role in weapons production, the Journal said.

Defence officials told the newspaper that American manufacturers might be needed to backstop traditional defence contractors and asked whether the companies could rapidly shift to defence work.

GE Aerospace and vehicle and machinery maker Oshkosh were among the companies involved in the talks with defence officials, the Journal added.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The Pentagon, General Motors, Ford, GE Aerospace and Oshkosh did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment outside regular business hours.

A Pentagon official told the Journal the Defense Department “is committed to rapidly expanding the defence industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage”.

Trump met executives from seven defence contractors in March as the Pentagon works to replenish supplies used in US strikes on Iran and other recent military operations.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the US has drawn down billions of dollars’ worth of weapons ​stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles.

Trump this month requested a massive US$500 billion increase in the military budget to US$1.5 trillion, amid the US war against Iran.