Is the Iran War Really About China?

Melissa Chen argues that Trump's moves in the Panama Canal, Venezuela, and Iran are not isolated decisions; they are deliberately sequenced moves on a geopolitical chessboard designed to dismantle China's global leverage. Iran is a critical piece: China is its largest trading partner, buys 90% of its oil, and has built its surveillance infrastructure. As long as Iran remains a threat, the United States stays distracted and China continues militarizing the South China Sea unchallenged. A China that controls the Pacific is a China that controls the world.