The national security team has promptly assessed the situation in the Middle East following the US bombing of Iran, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday.
Kuo made the remark following US President Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that US forces had attacked three nuclear sites in Iran via aerial bombing.
The national security team has briefed President William Lai (賴清德) on the latest developments, and Lai has instructed the team and executive branches to monitor potential developments and take appropriate action, Kuo said.
Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba, AFP
The government would continue to maintain close communication with allies around the world to ensure overall stability and national security, she said.
Executive branches would also closely monitor the impact of the Middle East conflict on global politics and economic markets and address related issues accordingly, she added.
Meanwhile, an official familiar with cross-strait affairs said that Taiwan should closely observe China’s actions, as Iran might seek global retaliation for the US’ involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, while China continues to escalate threats against Taiwan through military force.
Chinese warplanes disappeared from the Taiwan Strait for several days, likely due to a typhoon in China, which impacted the 17th Straits Forum in Xiamen, China.
However, Chinese warplanes reappeared on Thursday last week and resumed “gray zone” incursions to intimidate Taiwan, the official said.
China, Russia and Iran are strategically cooperating, and potential attacks on democratic nations should be treated with utmost caution, they said.
While Iran could seek revenge for the US attacking it, possibly leading to a global conflict, China has not yet militarily supported Iran, and is not as closely aligned with Iran in military cooperation as Iran is with Russia, they added.
At present, China is unlikely to become involved in the Israel-Iran conflict, they said.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
New Taipei City prosecutors yesterday indicted nine entertainers over their alleged connection to a fraud ring that produces falsified documents to help people evade military service, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and show host William Liao (廖威廉). Twenty-eight people were charged with contravening the Punishment for Violation of Military Service System Act (妨害兵役治罪條例) and Article 214 of the Criminal Code for “causing a public official to make a false entry in a public document.” Prosecutors alleged the fraud ring was ran by a man, Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), and his three assistants, and that they were paid to help people dodge compulsory
RSS