16 h. ago Why the US could be China’s biggest ally in reining in Asia’s nuclear ambitions

Iran’s crushing defeat in its brief but devastating war with Israel has sent shock waves far beyond the Middle East, casting fresh doubts on the viability of nuclear non-proliferation and raising fears of a renewed global push to acquire nuclear weapons. Without a credible nuclear deterrent, Tehran proved unable to effectively defend or retaliate against Israel’s pre-emptive strikes on key personnel and nuclear facilities, despite its much-touted strategic alignment with China and Russia. While...

Events

35 h. ago The Israel–Iran ceasefire is a relief for China. But the war exposed Beijing’s lack of leverage

The Israel–Iran ceasefire is a relief for China. But the war exposed Beijing’s lack of leverage  Chatham House

Events

50 h. ago As attacks on Iran show, Russia can now do very little for its allies

The recent war between Iran and Israel has laid bare a truth long obscured by Kremlin bluster: Russia is no longer a superpower. Moscow’s muted response to Tehran’s plight is not an anomaly but the latest – and perhaps most telling – chapter in a pattern of strategic neglect that stretches from the Middle East to the Levant and South Caucasus. Driven by President Vladimir Putin’s neo-imperialist fantasies, Russia plunged into Ukraine to find itself in a quagmire that has bled its military,...

Events

4 d. ago China should be alert to risk of US being drawn into war by allies, analyst says

There is more risk of a global military conflict breaking out under Donald Trump’s leadership, with the US more likely to be drawn into wars involving smaller nations or allies, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came after the United States joined Israel’s war against Iran last weekend, carrying out military strikes on three nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. US officials have signalled that the operation was a one-off intervention and – hours after Iran launched a missile attack...

Events

6 d. ago Iran defense chief visits China, first trip after war with Israel: What to know

Iran defense chief visits China, first trip after war with Israel: What to know  AL-Monitor

Events

7 d. ago China’s Hard Fought Leverage In The Middle East Evaporates As Beijing Watched Iran

China’s Hard Fought Leverage In The Middle East Evaporates As Beijing Watched Iran-Israel War Helplessly  EurAsian Times

Politics

7 d. ago China’s Hard Fought Leverage In The Middle East Dented As Beijing Helplessly Watched Iran

China’s Hard Fought Leverage In The Middle East Dented As Beijing Helplessly Watched Iran-Israel War: Analyst  EurAsian Times

Politics

7 d. ago As skies in Mideast close, China airlines have key advantage – Russian airspace

Western airlines risk suffering greater disruption than their Chinese rivals this summer, as the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel – compounded by US military strikes – forces most carriers to avoid flying over dangerous airspace on China-Europe routes. Analysts said that while almost all carriers have diverted services to bypass Iran and parts of the Middle East, Western firms are at a disadvantage: they remain barred from Russian airspace, which Chinese companies continue to...

Politics

8 d. ago Iran Israel war: Tehran plans attack against USA forces anywhere, China, Russia send chilling warning

Iran Israel war: Tehran plans attack against USA forces anywhere, China, Russia send chilling warning  The Economic Times

Events

8 d. ago China’s support for Tehran grows more restrained as U.S. enters war between Israel and Iran

China’s support for Tehran grows more restrained as U.S. enters war between Israel and Iran  CNBC

Politics

9 d. ago Pentagon says US operation against Iran nuclear sites was ‘overwhelming success’

The Middle East has been plunged deeper into crisis after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which US President Donald Trump said “completely and fully obliterated” three key sites, marking a major escalation in the Israel-Iran air war. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that the operation “was an incredible and overwhelming success”. “It was powerful, and it was clear we devastated the Iranian nuclear program, but it’s worth noting the operation, did...

Events

9 d. ago Pentagon says US operation against Iran nuclear sites inflicted ‘severe damage’

The Middle East is plunged deeper into crisis after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which US President Donald Trump said “completely and fully obliterated” three key sites, marking a major escalation in the Israel-Iran air war. Detailing a complex strike mission dubbed “Midnight Hammer” that involved seven B-2 bombers and the deployment of Massive Ordnance Penetrator “bunker buster” bombs for the first time in a conflict, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said...

Events

9 d. ago China, US at loggerheads in emergency UN Security Council meeting on Iran

China and the United States were at loggerheads in an emergency UN Security Council meeting called a day after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, a move that marked a major escalation in the Israel-Iran air war. “We call for an immediate ceasefire and end to the hostilities in the context of the abrupt escalation of tensions in the Middle East,” said Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN. “We call for effective protection of civilians. The ultimate victims of all...

Events

9 d. ago World braces for Iran’s response after US attack on nuclear sites

The Middle East crisis dramatically deepened on the weekend after the US launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. This marked a major escalation in the ongoing Israel-Iran air war. The US has revealed details of its “Midnight Hammer” operation, a complex strike using B-2 bombers and “bunker buster” bombs for the first time. While US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth maintains the mission is “not about regime change”, President Donald Trump has publicly questioned this stance on social...

Events

1 week ago ‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel

‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel-Iran War  Time Magazine

Politics

1 week ago Will US actively join Israel against Iran? Pentagon chief stays mum

As the world watched anxiously whether the Middle East descends into wider war and the US actively joins Israel against Iran, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sidestepped direct questions before Congress on Wednesday and otherwise declined to shed insights into the administration’s plans. The Pentagon chief told the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee that the final decision on what course America would take was in the hands of US President Donald Trump, describing his own role as furnishing...

Politics

2 w. ago 2003 all over again? Possible US intervention in Israel vs Iran sparks worries

With President Donald Trump poised to determine whether the United States will plunge into the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, anxiety over the possible consequences is sweeping across the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday broadened his demands for Iranian capitulation, moving beyond calls to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s nuclear enrichment programme. Now, he is insisting Iran scraps its ballistic missile arsenal and abandons support for its...

Politics

2 w. ago China Mediates Between Iran and Israel in Bid to Halt War Under Xi’s Global Security Initiative

China Mediates Between Iran and Israel in Bid to Halt War Under Xi’s Global Security Initiative  Modern Diplomacy

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