The United States has temporarily paused a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan as the Pentagon prioritises weapons and munitions for ongoing military operations linked to the Iran conflict.

US acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the suspension is aimed at ensuring America maintains enough military stockpiles for “Epic Fury,” the joint US-Israel operation in Iran.

Taiwan says it has not received any formal notice regarding changes to the arms package, while the move is expected to further increase tensions with China, which strongly opposes US military support for Taiwan.

US President Donald Trump also hinted the deal could be used as leverage in negotiations with Beijing following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.