Navy’s acting secretary says $14 billion Taiwan arms sale put on “pause” over Iran war

The acting secretary of the U.S. Navy said Thursday that arm sales to Taiwan had been put on “pause” to ensure that the American military had sufficient munitions for its Iran operations.

Asked at a congressional hearing about the stalled $14 billion weapons purchase by Taiwan, Acting Secretary Hung Cao said that “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.”

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

The State Department and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Cao’s remarks.

President Trump has not committed to following through with the sale, raising concerns over his commitment to support for Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.

Ahead of his recent state visit to China, Mr. Trump said he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the arms sales, a departure from Washington’s previous insistence that it will not consult Beijing on the matter.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on May 15 after departing Beijing, Mr. Trump confirmed Xi had brought up the U.S. weapons sale. The president told reporters he made “no commitment either way” on the issue and declined to publicly state whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

Following his remarks, congressional lawmakers from both parties said that the Trump administration should continue to provide arms to Taiwan.

The U.S. must “arm Taiwan so they can defend themselves for deterrence against Chairman Xi,” Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and former House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said last week.

The U.S. approved a record $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan in late 2025, but the $14 billion package has been stalled on Mr. Trump’s desk for months. 

The U.S. recognizes only Beijing, but under U.S. law is required to provide weapons to Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, for its defense.

China has sworn to take the island and has not ruled out using force, ramping up military pressure in recent years.