{"id":125567,"date":"2026-05-22T03:20:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T03:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/125567\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T03:20:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T03:20:20","slug":"navy-iran-war-stockpile-woes-behind-pause-on-aid-to-taiwan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/125567\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy: Iran war stockpile woes behind ‘pause’ on aid to Taiwan\u200b"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said<\/a> the U.S. is pausing arms sales to Taiwan because of the war with Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury,\u201d Cao told Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who asked about the possible pause at a hearing<\/a> of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Cao maintained the U.S. has \u201cplenty\u201d of munitions, and said the arms sales will resume when \u201cthe administration deems necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cao\u2019s remarks clash with the administration\u2019s previously stated rationale for a pause.<\/p>\n

Last week, Donald Trump floated that he may delay<\/a> the approval of a $14 billion arms sale<\/a> to Taiwan as a \u201cnegotiating chip\u201d with China<\/a>. \u201cI haven\u2019t approved it yet. We\u2019re going to see what happens,\u201d Trump told<\/a> Fox News. \u201cI may do it, I may not do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

NOTUS Defense reporter Joe Gould called<\/a> the acting Navy Secretary\u2019s remarks \u201codd.\u201d \u201cIf there’s plenty, why is the pause needed?,\u201d he wrote<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n

Cao\u2019s comments come amid continued<\/a> concerns over the state of U.S. stockpiles. A CSIS report published last month suggests<\/a> the U.S. has burned through some key munitions fighting Iran \u2014 including<\/a> about half of its Precision Strike Missiles and up to 80% of its THAAD interceptors<\/p>\n

But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly dismissed<\/a> munitions-related concerns. \u201cWe know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need,\u201d he proclaimed<\/a> at a congressional hearing last week.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s possible arms sales pause has frustrated Taiwan\u2019s leaders, amid rising tensions over the island and the future of its relationship with the United States. On Sunday, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged<\/a> the Trump administration<\/a> to continue the sales as a means to maintain \u201cregional peace and security.\u201d<\/p>\n

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