In the news: SLD headlines the Asia-Pacific arms race chatter at IISS; big players cite Asia-Pacific core. Think IISS host, watchdog on security.
The U.S. has paused a congressionally approved up-to-$14 billion arms package for Taiwan while officials are reviewing munitions stocks used in Operation Epic Fury. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao has said foreign military sales will resume when the administration deems necessary; Taipei says it has not been formally notified.
CSIS has warned that four key munitions depleted in the Iran war require two to three years to replenish, creating a multi-year window of vulnerability even as inventories are rebuilt amid public assurances of combat readiness.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies has warned during the Shangri-La Dialogue that the world is on the cusp of a new nuclear arms race, with the Asia-Pacific at its core. Regional states are expanding nuclear arsenals while non-nuclear states pursue long-range conventional capabilities, challenging strategic stability.
The United States has signaled it is "more than capable" of resuming hostilities with Iran if a peace deal does not meet Washington’s red lines, including Iran never developing a nuclear weapon. Officials say a final determination on a deal is pending after a White House review. Iran has rejected the finality of terms while diplomaci continues and regional tensions persist.