Washington’s actions in South America also mirrored its efforts to challenge China’s control over resource markets in Africa. While China dominates critical mineral refining, much of its supply comes from Africa and South America.
The US-Israel’s assault on Tehran on February 28, seeking to initiate a regime change, shocked the world due to its disregard for innocent lives and rule-based framework that protects sovereignty of nations. Amid the flurry of strikes on the Iranian regime, what may be overlooked is Washington’s message of its ability – and willingness – to affect China’s resources just a month before the scheduled Trump–Xi trade summit.
The strike on Iran implies major consequences for Indo-Pacific security and economy, and it comes just weeks before looming trade negotiations over tariffs – talks that previously stumbled and underscored how much China influences global supply chains.
The recent strike on Iran highlights Washington’s strategic flexibility and unpredictability in the Indo-Pacific, despite earlier concerns that the Trump administration’s “America First” pivot to the Western Hemisphere might reduce US influence and, therefore, benefit Beijing. Washington’s push for partners to invest more in their own security apparatus – and specifically in American arms – also signalled a policy shift consistent with its “America First” approach.
Although Marco Rubio, in early 2025, assured Taiwan and other regional allies – including New Delhi and other members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) – that Washington remained committed to its Indo-Pacific strategy, the announcement of a new policy focus created some confusion. The assault on Iran illustrates that Washington’s global strategy remains tied to containing China, even under its “America First” posture.
Notably, the strike on Iran aims to disrupt China’s energy supply lines. Approximately half of China’s oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz. While China does not report its oil imports from Iran, it is estimated that about 12 percent of its oil comes from Iran, transported via Malaysia or unmarked ships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The recent strike on Iran highlights Washington’s strategic flexibility and unpredictability in the Indo-Pacific, despite earlier concerns that the Trump administration’s “America First” pivot to the Western Hemisphere might reduce US influence and, therefore, benefit Beijing. Washington’s push for partners to invest more in their own security apparatus – and specifically in American arms – also signalled a policy shift consistent with its “America First” approach.
Although Marco Rubio, in early 2025, assured Taiwan and other regional allies – including New Delhi and other members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) – that Washington remained committed to its Indo-Pacific strategy, the announcement of a new policy focus created some confusion. The assault on Iran illustrates that Washington’s global strategy remains tied to containing China, even under its “America First” posture.
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Anshu N. Chatterjee is a visiting scholar at ISAS at UC Berkeley and taught at the Naval Postgraduate School (Monterey) for the past 20 years.