TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US arms sales to Taiwan are unrelated to the Iran conflict and follow long procurement timelines, a source familiar with the matter said, Reuters reported Saturday.
The source said major foreign military sales to Taiwan typically take years to complete and are unrelated to the US military campaign in Iran. “These sales take years to process and are unrelated to Operation Epic Fury,” the source said, adding that the US military has sufficient stockpiles to meet global commitments.
The comments came after acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a Senate hearing that arms sales to Taiwan had been paused to ensure sufficient munitions for operations in Iran. Taiwan has been awaiting approval of a US arms package that Reuters previously reported could be worth up to NT$440 billion (US$14 billion).
US President Donald Trump has added uncertainty to the process, saying after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping this month that he had not yet decided whether to approve the package. A White House official said Trump would make a decision soon and noted an NT$346 billion package approved in December.
Taiwan’s government said Friday it had not received information about US arms sales delays.
