The United States has paused a $14bn arms sale to Taiwan, redirecting munitions to sustain its military campaign against Iran and exposing mounting anxieties over rapidly depleting stockpiles. The decision comes just days after President Donald Trump returned from a high-profile summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, a country that claims sovereignty over self-governed Taiwan and has threatened to reunite it with the mainland by force if necessary.
Trump Discussed Arms Deal with Xi
Trump said he had discussed the matter of the $14bn arms deal in great detail with Xi and would make a decision over the next fairly short period, breaking decades of US policy that states decisions on Taiwan should not be made in collaboration with Beijing. The disclosure that the deal is now paused came from acting US Navy Chief Secretary Hung Cao during a tense Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Thursday.
Munitions Needed for Epic Fury
Cao did not mention Trump's conversations with Xi, stating instead that the Trump administration had halted the sale to ensure the US retained enough firepower for Epic Fury, the codename for the military campaign against Iran. He told Republican Senator Mitch McConnell: Right now we are doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty. We are just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary. Pressed by McConnell on whether the sale would eventually go ahead, Cao replied the decision would rest with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. McConnell responded: Yeah, that is what is really distressing.
Contradictory Explanations
Cao's comments appeared to contradict Trump's own explanation for delaying the sale. The president suggested last week that the arms sale could be leveraged by Washington in negotiations with Beijing. He told Fox News: I have not approved it yet. We are going to see what happens. I may do it, I may not do it. The proposed weapons package, approved by Congress in January and awaiting Trump's sign-off, would be the largest arms sale ever to Taiwan if completed, eclipsing the record $11bn deal authorized during the president's previous term.
Strained US Military Reserves
The pause comes as scrutiny grows over the state of US military reserves after about three months of conflict with Iran. The Pentagon reportedly burned through thousands of missiles in the 40 days of fighting, sharply reducing its supplies of Tomahawks, Patriot interceptors, and long-range strike weapons including ATACMS systems. The White House is now preparing a supplemental funding request of $80-100bn for Congress, much of which is intended to replenish the sophisticated weapons consumed during the conflict, which remains temporarily frozen by a fragile ceasefire since April, according to The Hill. Hegseth previously dismissed suggestions that US stockpiles were under strain, stating: The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated. We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need.
Taiwan's Response
In Taipei, officials sought to project calm, saying they had not been formally informed of any change in policy. Presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo said he was aware of reports about the pause but had not yet received notification from Washington, as reported by the Taipei Times. Taiwan's leaders maintain that continued American arms support is critical to deterring China, which claims the self-governing island as its territory and is steadily increasing military pressure around it. Alexander Yui, Taiwan's representative to the US, said on Sunday: If we want to prevent a war from happening, I think it is best that Taiwan is strong, able to defend itself, and therefore we should be able to buy the arms we need to have a stronger defense.
Doubts Over US Commitment
The pause on the arms sale risks fuelling doubts in Taiwan over Washington's long-term commitment. William Yang, a senior analyst for northeast Asia at Crisis Group, warned the delay would exacerbate anxiety and scepticism about US support in Taiwan. It also threatens to unsettle decades of carefully maintained diplomatic precedent. Since the Ronald Reagan administration, the US has formally adhered to its Six Assurances to Taiwan, one of which states that Washington will not consult Beijing on arms sales to the island.
