In June, President Donald Trump described his ceasefire with Iran as “unconditional surrender.” By July, speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, he declared it “over.” Oil prices jumped 6% within hours.

The conflict is lasting far longer than the administration expected. And yet, paradoxically, the Iran war may end up being one of the most powerful forces for peace in the 21st century, not between America and Iran, but between America and China.