No Grand China Strategy Behind the Iran War, Analysts Say

An opinion piece argues there’s no coherent China-centric plan driving the Iran War. Beijing’s Middle East priorities are anchored in Gulf states and energy, not a deep Iran-China alliance, and Trump’s inconsistent China policy muddies any attempt at a geopolitical pivot. Iran is not China’s most important regional partner and China’s support to Tehran is cautious and limited. A more effective U.S. approach would clearly separate competition from cooperation, tighten AI export controls and supply-chain resilience, deter China in the Indo-Pacific, and pursue Middle East interests without eroding deterrence.