When the Biden administration signaled a withdrawal of U.S. assertiveness in the Middle East, it effectively created a vacuum that China was eager to fill. By softening pressure on Iran and tolerating Beijing’s growing rapprochement with both Iran and Saudi Arabia, Washington permitted China to extend its influence across a region historically dominated by U.S. power. In this permissive environment, China built upon its long-term Marxist-Leninist worldview of exploiting “weakest links”—regimes under siege by the West—and sought to transform Iran into a critical proxy for its grand strategy. (On this topic, see my earlier article, “Iran in China’s Grand Strategy,” The Caravan June 15, 2021.)

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