The US has halted arms sales to Taiwan due to concerns about war with Iran.
The acting Secretary of the US Navy announced that Washington has temporarily halted the sale of $14 billion in arms to Taiwan to ensure its own weapons stockpiles are sufficient for a potential war with Iran.
Hung Cao confirmed this matter in a Senate session and said the temporary halt in sales is aimed at maintaining US military readiness for potential operations against Iran.
He stated in the session that they have halted the sales for now to ensure they have the necessary ammunition for Operation Epic Fury, although their stockpiles are sufficient.
This decision is announced as US President Donald Trump had not taken a clear stance on arms sales to Taiwan a few days ago and said he would discuss it with the President of Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office announced on Friday that it has not received any information about changes in the US arms sales process.
The sale of US weapons to Taiwan has always been a point of tension between Washington and Beijing. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has repeatedly emphasized that it does not rule out the use of force to reclaim the island.
Hung Cao also stated that no discussions have yet been held with Taiwanese officials regarding this decision and emphasized that the foreign arms sales process will resume after the US government makes a determination.