US suspends $14bn arms sale to Taiwan over Iran war, Navy chief says | US-Israel War on Iran News

Navy Secretary Hung Cao’s comments come as US President Donald Trump is giving mixed signals on the sale.

A top US military official has said Washington is suspending a $14bn arms sale to Taiwan to keep it armed in its war against Iran.

Navy Secretary Hung Cao presented the changes to lawmakers during a Senate hearing on Thursday, a week after the arms sales began in talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

“Right now, we’re taking a break to make sure we have the weapons we need for the Epic Fury — which we have a lot of,” Cao told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

“But we’re just making sure we have everything, but foreign military sales will continue as the administration deems necessary.”

Cao said any decision to go ahead with the sale — which would be the largest missile shipment to Taiwan — would be made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The war has been suspended since the US and Iran agreed to end the war on April 8, but the sides have not reached a permanent peace agreement.

The US Congress approved arms sales to Taiwan in January, but the sale requires Trump’s signature to move forward.

If approved, the deal would go on top of the $11bn tariff on Taiwan approved by Trump in December.

Taiwan’s Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai told reporters on Friday that Taiwan will continue to buy weapons, according to Taiwan’s FTV News.

William Yang, senior Northeast Asia analyst at the Crisis Group, said in a social media post that the pause “increases concerns and doubts about US aid to Taiwan and makes it difficult for the Taiwanese government to request additional defense funding in the future”.

Trump, who has confirmed that he discussed arms sales with Xi, said last week in an interview with Fox News that he “may” or “may not” approve the package.

Mr Trump said the package could be used as a “negotiating tool” – despite a long history of confrontation with Beijing over arms sales.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, and opposes Washington’s continued but unofficial aid to Taipei.

The US government does not officially recognize Taiwan but has pledged to help the island’s security under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which was enacted shortly after Washington severed ties with Taipei.

Trump will continue to test the situation in Taiwan in other ways, he said earlier this week he might consider talking to Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te of arms trade.

Such a move would be derailed by a four-decade-old protocol against direct talks with the Taiwanese leader and would likely draw the ire of Beijing.

Trump had a phone call with former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen after winning the 2016 election, but their conversation took place before she was sworn in as president.