Great Power Competition

By incorporating Ukraine and other like-minded states from the Middle East and Asia, the G7 Summit highlighted the net progress made on countering Iranian, Russian, and Chinese threats to the American-led global security and economic system.

Power parity informs the view from Ankara, which has a strong interest in preventing Iran from going nuclear or alternatively falling into chaos—even as the war’s outcome will be largely outside Turkish control.

The first presidential visit to China in nearly a decade will cover trade, technology, and a range of other bilateral topics, including frank conversations on Middle East subjects such as Beijing’s support to Iran and the wider global repercussions of the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Three experts explore the regional and global implications of Russian and Chinese support for Tehran, including how much this assistance actually affects U.S. efforts to weaken the regime’s capabilities and bring the crisis to an end.

A regularly updated compendium of Beijing and Moscow’s reactions to the fighting in Iran, Lebanon, and beyond, including analysis of the similarities and differences in their respective diplomatic approaches to the crisis.

Trump’s fifteen-point peace proposal suggests that he recognizes the need to find an off-ramp, but Washington must stay committed to that path to avoid a Russian-style quagmire.

Beijing has been mostly talk and little walk so far, but once the war ends, it may decide to help Tehran rebuild militarily in return for oil.

The de facto halt to Gulf oil shipments has already helped Moscow win back India as a major oil customer, while the rise in global prices could greatly refresh its depleted Ukraine war budget.

Beijing is just as concerned about its Gulf partners as it is about China’s “old friends” in Tehran.