Acting U.S. Navy Secretary H. B. Kay [UPI=Yonhap News]

The White House has stepped in to quell controversy after a high-ranking U.S. military official stated that arms sales to Taiwan were temporarily suspended due to the war in Iran, denying the claim.

According to Reuters on the 23rd (local time), a White House official indicated this stance, stating that a decision on the Taiwan arms package will be made soon.

The official mentioned that the Trump administration approved a $11 billion (approximately 16.7 trillion won) arms package for Taiwan last year and added that further approvals will be made soon, as stated by President Donald Trump.

The official further emphasized, "President Trump allowed more arms sales to Taiwan during his first term than any other president."

Reuters also reported that other sources stated the delay in approving U.S. arms sales to Taiwan is unrelated to Iran.

These sources stressed, "The U.S. military has sufficient reserves of ammunition and weapons to achieve all of President Trump's strategic objectives and beyond," and that arms sales are a multi-year process unrelated to the war in Iran.

This contradicts the statement made by Acting U.S. Navy Secretary H. B. Kay on the 21st during a congressional hearing. When asked about the arms sales plan to Taiwan, Kay stated, "It is currently temporarily suspended to secure the munitions needed for the 'Operation Grand Anger' (against Iran)."

Kay's assertion came amid reports from U.S. media suggesting that the prolonged war in Iran was depleting U.S. missile stocks. The fact that a high-ranking military official directly addressed the issue of munitions supply and demand generated further controversy.

U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, enacted in 1979.

In January, the U.S. Congress proposed an additional support package for Taiwan worth $14 billion, but the Trump administration has not yet granted approval.

In this context, concerns about a potential weakening of U.S. security commitments are growing after President Trump remarked that arms sales to Taiwan were a "negotiating chip" following his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.