"US Navy": Arms Sales to Taiwan Suspended Due to Iran War

SadaNews - The acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy said late Thursday to Friday that arms sales to Taiwan have been "suspended" to ensure that the U.S. military has sufficient ammunition for its operations in Iran.

In response to a question during a congressional session regarding the stalled $14 billion arms purchase deal by Taiwan, Hong Kao stated it was suspended "to ensure that we have the ammunition we need for Operation Epic Fury, of which we have a lot." He added, "But we just want to make sure that we have everything, and then arms sales will resume when the administration sees it as necessary.".

The U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests from Agence France-Presse for comments on Kao's statements. U.S. President Donald Trump did not commit to completing the sale, raising concerns about his commitment to support Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory and has vowed to annex, even by force if necessary.

Before his recent official visit to China, Trump stated that he would speak with President Xi Jinping regarding the arms deal, marking a departure from Washington's previous insistence that it would not consult Beijing on this matter. Afterward, he stated that he made no commitments to Xi regarding Taiwan and that he would make a decision on arms sales in the near term.