A senior US military official said Washington is pausing a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan to conserve munitions for the war against Iran.
Testifying before the Senate on Thursday, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated: “Right now, we’re pausing to ensure we have enough munitions for Operation Epic Fury – and we have plenty. But foreign arms sales will resume when the administration deems it necessary.”
The decision to proceed with the sale – reportedly the largest arms transfer ever to Taiwan – will rest with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Cao.
The war with Iran has been on hold since the US and Iran reached a ceasefire on April 8, but no permanent peace deal has been struck.
The US Congress approved the Taiwan arms package in January, but the deal requires President Trump’s approval to move forward. If greenlit, it would surpass the previous record $11 billion package for Taiwan that Trump approved in December.
Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Friday that the island will continue pursuing weapons purchases, according to FTV News.
William Yang, senior Northeast Asia analyst at Crisis Group, posted on social media that the pause will “fuel anxiety and skepticism about US support for Taiwan, and make it harder for the Taiwan government to ask for more defense budget in the coming period.”
President Trump, who has confirmed discussing the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, told Fox News last week that he “may” or “may not” approve the package. He also suggested the arms deal could serve as “bargaining chip” – despite decades of precedent not to consult Beijing on arms sales.
China views self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes Washington’s unofficial but steady support for Taipei.
The US government does not formally recognize Taiwan but is committed to helping the island defend itself under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, enacted shortly after Washington severed diplomatic ties with Taipei.
Mr. Trump is also testing the status quo on Taiwan in other ways, saying earlier this week he would consider speaking to Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te about the arms deal. That would break four decades of diplomatic protocol barring direct talks with Taiwan's leader and almost certainly trigger a furious response from Beijing.
Mr. Trump once spoke by phone with former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen after his 2016 election win, but that exchange came before he took office.
