According to one China watcher, Beijing may be a “long-term beneficiary” of the American retreat from stable leadership, as Washington’s strikes on Iran have revealed it to be an uncertain and unpredictable global power.
More significantly, the conflict has revealed Washington’s reluctance to engage in a prolonged war, offering the Chinese leadership clues on how the Trump administration might approach other flashpoints, including Taiwan.
The US carried out air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend in an operation Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called a “resounding success” that obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities. It followed an intense exchange of fire between Israel and Iran that started on June 13 when Israel launched surprise air attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached in the “12-day war” between the traditional adversaries.
However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday downplayed the impact of the US strikes, claiming that Tehran had delivered a “slap to America’s face” by striking a US airbase in Qatar over the weekend.
