U.S. Halts Arms Sales to Taiwan Due to War with Iran — The Hill
The United States has temporarily suspended the sale of military equipment and weapons to Taiwan, totaling $14 billion, due to the need to support its own operations against Iran.
This was officially announced by Acting Commander of the U.S. Navy Hung Tsai during a speech at a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations and Defense, according to The Hill.
According to him, the Pentagon aims to verify that it has sufficient ammunition to conduct the current military campaign before resuming foreign shipments.
U.S. military leaders assured senators that Washington still possesses a significant number of missiles and interceptors for air defense systems, despite public discussions about the depletion of the country’s arsenals.
Military leadership aims to fully meet the army’s domestic needs while conducting operations in the Middle East.
“We are currently taking a pause to ensure we have sufficient ammunition for ‘Epic Fury.’ We are simply making sure we have everything we need, but then the sale of military equipment abroad will resume when the administration deems it necessary,” Cao said.
The future of military contracts with Taipei and the exact timing of the resumption of arms deliveries currently depend on decisions by the country’s top political leadership.
When senators asked the Navy chief about the possible timeline for approving these tranches, the official referred the question to the heads of the relevant agencies.
According to Cao, this will depend on U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagset and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The arguments put forward by the military regarding the suspension of military aid contradict the version previously stated by the White House.
The day before, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at entirely different motives for this decision, linked to the geopolitical standoff with Beijing.
It is reported that the U.S. president is considering refraining from selling weapons to Taiwan as a “bargaining chip” with China.
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