ISTANBUL

The US on Monday suspended leases for all large-scale offshore renewable wind energy projects currently under construction, citing "national security risks" identified in classified reports by the Department of Defense.

Unclassified government reports have long noted that the movement of turbine blades and towers causes radar interference known as "clutter," which "obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets," the Interior Department said in a statement.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox Business that the Pentagon concluded that large offshore wind programs "create radar interference that creates a genuine risk for the US."

The action "addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers," Burgum said in the Interior Department's statement.

The agency added that during the suspension period, the administration will "work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects."

President Donald Trump has long criticized wind turbines, calling them ugly, expensive and harmful to wildlife.