China’s playbook: Arm Iran, then capture America’s supply chain

Published July 23, 2026 6:00am ET



As U.S. forces escalate strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Donald Trump is advancing a policy of “peace through strength,” using American military and diplomatic leverage to prevent Tehran from crossing the nuclear threshold. However, despite the “sucking sound” in the Middle East dominating U.S. foreign policy discussions, it’s critically important that we do not delay the U.S. national security pivot to Asia.

China has supplied key military components to the Iranian regime, and the Chinese Communist Party continues to engage in a long-term campaign to dominate strategic supply chains, hollow out U.S. manufacturing, and export American jobs overseas.

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