US arms sales to Taiwan are paused to ensure adequate munitions for Iran operations. The pause is intended to confirm that required munitions are available before foreign military sales continue. A $14bn weapons package awaiting approval has been delayed for months. The decision on whether and when sales resume is attributed to the secretary of state and the Pentagon. Concern is growing that missile stockpiles have been significantly depleted since the Iran war began on 28 February, though a fragile ceasefire has followed. Taiwan has received no information indicating adjustments to the arms sale. The pause follows recent US-China summit discussions where Taiwan weapons packages were a major topic, while Beijing continues to oppose arms sales to Taiwan.
"Right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury [the Iran war] which we have plenty. Cao added: We're just making sure we have everything, then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary."
"When asked by the US senator Mitch McConnell whether he expected the arms sales to Taiwan to be approved eventually, Cao said the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, would make that decision. Yeah, that's what's really distressing, said McConnell."
"Concern is growing over reports that the US has burned through a significant chunk of its missile stockpiles since launching its increasingly intractable war against Iran on 28 February, which has since settled into a fragile ceasefire. The foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary,' said Hung Cao."
"Responding to Cao's statement, Taiwan's presidential office spokesperson, Karen Kuo, said on Friday that Taipei had received no information indicating that the US intends to make any adjustments to this arms sale. But the announcement will be unwelcome news for Taipei, coming a week after Trump met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing for a summit in which Washington's multibillion-dollar weapons packages to Taiwan were high on the agenda."
#us-taiwan-arms-sales #iran-war-munitions #missile-stockpiles #us-china-relations #foreign-military-sales
Read at www.theguardian.com
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