Is the United States partly abandoning Taiwan to continue the war effort in the Middle East?

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The United States would have recovered weapons supposed to protect Taiwan, says the former Minister of the Armed Forces. “They had to recover all the missiles that are in the Asia-Pacific zone to participate in this operation. This weakens the military presence and American power, particularly to protect Taiwan, there is no doubt about it.“, a déclaré Hervé Morin sur CNews, le 13 mai 2026.

So, is the war in Iran weakening Taiwan’s security? The United States is the guarantor of Taiwan’s security. They have numerous bases near the island, for example in Japan, South Korea or Guam, air bases, naval bases, missile stocks and especially the HQ of the 7th American fleet. It is notably from Japan that the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, operates.

Now, has any weaponry been removed from these bases to be sent to the Middle East? Difficult to know, according to experts. “There are things that we will never know. There may be munitions that have been transferred. In fact, you have to have a very developed intelligence system to know exactly what the Americans have done and where the munitions come from which actually seem to be starting to run out, given all that which they already used in the Middle East”, indicates Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Arbaretier.

On the other hand, there is consensus on one point: the intensity of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz is putting American military stocks under pressure. However, Taiwan depends largely on American weapons. For several years, the United States has delivered equipment to the Taiwanese intended to deter a Chinese invasion. In December 2025, Washington approved the sale of 82 of its rocket launchers, nearly 400 of its long-range missiles, and even Javelin anti-tank missiles.

However, the more munitions the United States consumes in the Middle East, the more complicated its ability to support Taiwan becomes. The Pentagon has already announced that it will suspend future arms sales. “For now, we’re taking a break to make sure we have the ammo we need for Operation Epic Fury“, reported Hung Cao, the acting secretary of the Navy in the United States.

There is therefore no evidence today to confirm that weapons specifically intended to protect Taiwan were requisitioned for the war in the Middle East. But the risk mentioned by Hervé Morin is very real. If the conflict continues, the United States could have difficulty maintaining military support for Taiwan.

 Articles de presse : 

 TF1 Info 

The World (05/22/2026)

Le Monde (05/18/2026)

Reuters

The Parisian

Youtube 

Rapports : 

AIT 

Airpac.navy

Cnic.navy  

Experts : 

Vincent Arbaretier, lieutenant colonel, doctor in political science and contemporary history (Linkedin, CNAM)

Liste non exhaustive