Moscow and Beijing's bid to stop a UN sanctions committee discussion on Iran collapses amid claims they aim to protect defence ties.

Speaking on the Iran conflict, President Trump said, “We’re doing this for other parts of the world, like China.”

The intense U.S. bombing of Iran reveals the limits of Beijing’s relationship with Tehran and the pragmatism of China’s Middle Eastern strategy

Beijing has condemned the U.S.-backed strikes on Iran, a close partner. Yet with trade talks looming, it is unlikely to risk a rupture with Washington.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints.

Analysts at Teniz Capital released a report titled «It’s All About China: Why the U.S. Attacked Iran» outlining their interpretation of the underlying drivers of the conflict. Zhasulan Ospanov, Independent Director at Teniz Capital Asset Managenent LTD,

How could munitions constraints limit the ongoing campaign against Iran? How quickly can industry replenish what’s been expended? What do these expenditure and replenishment rates mean for America’s ability to respond to crises elsewhere?

For more than a decade, Beijing has worked quietly and methodically to turn Iran into the keystone of its Middle East strategy. That strategy has now collapsed. China occupies a unique position among America’s principal adversaries.

US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening overwhelming retaliation if Tehran attempts to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.